Star Wars: Days of Old
by Vincent M. Pierce
Summary: Star Wars: Days of Old follows the adventures of Jedi Padawan Rahna as she and her master attempt to uncover the truth behind a mystery more than a century old.
1. Preface

Star Wars: Days of Old takes place in an alternate timeline where the movies never happened, any of them. To give people a better idea of what going on, everything in the cannon timeline occurred up until roughly 50 years before what would have been the start of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. That's when things started to diverge into the alternate timeline that I'll be using. I don't want to give away too much, however you will see a lot of famous faces, just not fighting their way through the same situations as seen on the silver screen. However, due to these changes, there are a few famous faces you won't be seeing either. Read on and find out.

The reason I'm doing this is because I wanted to write a Star Wars story within what is considered the 'movie era' without having to try and deal with all the canon events. Plus, as is normal for me, I wanted to kinda do things my way and tell my own story. My work isn't exactly 'professional level', but I do try to maintain a consistent style with paragraphs, punctuation, and PROOF READING! So hopefully people will enjoy it. I know there's probably a good bit of room for improvement, but I just write for the fun of it, so yeah.

This story is finished, however I'm going to post the first 5 chapter, then one a day after that.


	2. Chapter 0

Eight years prior...

The streets of Corellia were filled with people going about their daily business, shopping, talking, and laughing. Land speeders passed by with the occasional honk, and it was all just another day in the life for everyone, except Rahna. From around the corner of a building, a small head of bright red hair slowly peered out, to see if anyone was watching. The tiny wisp of a girl could see all of the adults were busy with their own business, and as casually as possible, she walked down the street. Not far away there was an open front stall with a wide variety of fruit and bread for sale, and that was Rahna's target.

There was no one buying anything at the moment, and when the man running the stall turned around to tend to something else, she reached up grabbing half a loaf of sweet bread and took off running. Before the man even knew anything was gone, the girl had already disappeared down the alley. Looking over a shoulder to see if anyone was following, Rahna failed to notice the person in front of her. Colliding with them and falling onto her butt, she was barely on the ground before the bread was snatched out of her hands. Standing over her was an older boy with dark hair, holding the bread she'd just stolen. He was flanked on either side by two other boys as well.

"Hey, that's mine, give it back!"

"Not anymore shorty," Gran said. All three of them were scruffy, clad in torn clothing, unkempt hair, and dirt smudged faces. Both angry, and hungry, Rahna grabbed a small length of pipe nearby and struck him in the knee. With a yell, Gran dropped the bread and grabbed his leg. As Rahna scrambled for her meal, one of the other boys came forward kicking her in the stomach so hard she almost threw up. Now without the food and in pain, she began to cough before being stomped in the side. The boy Rahna had hit climbed on top of her and started swinging his fists, as she brought her arms up defensively.

"Stupid little brat, you wanna hit me huh?" His arms continued to flail. "Not so tough without your pipe are you?" More than a dozen times Gran swung, hitting Rahna in the arms and sides of the head, then the attack stopped as suddenly as it started. Not sure what was going on, she moved her arms just enough for a peek, and saw Gran looking up at his fist.

"What the?" Gran said, tugging at his arm. "My arm, it won't move." After that the boy flew down the alley landing on his back, and the others seemed to focus on someone else. Still in intense pain from the beating, Rahna rolled over trying to focus her eyes, and saw the silhouette of a figure no bigger than her standing near the entrance of the alley. One of the other boys picked up a rock and threw it, but with the simple raising of a hand, the projectile stopped, and fell to the ground. With another gesture the boy who had thrown it stumbled backwards as if shoved, and fell down.

"Forget this, I'm outta here!" It wasn't long before all three were running scared, leaving Rahna laying in the alley... without her bread. Still unwilling to give up, she grabbed the same length of pipe from before and tried to hold it up, but her arm was too weak. With a clatter it fell to the ground, as did her head. Laying there she could hear footsteps approaching.

"Are you gonna beat me up too?" Instead of saying anything, the figure leaned down placing a hand on her shoulder, and Rahna was overtaken by a sensation of warmth that washed the pain from her body. Able to sit up now, she pushed bolt upright and saw a small green hand holding a paper wrapped ration bar. Not even sure how to react, she looked up into a pair of bright golden eyes.

"Hungry you are, eat, you must," Yoda said. That was all she needed to hear to have the ration bar in hand, paper ripped, and half of it stuffed into her mouth, before Yoda could even pull his hand back. When the hand came forward a second time holding a small bottle of water, it didn't last long either. In less than a minute both were gone.

"Better, yes?"

"Yeah, lots better. Thanks for the food, and helping me. Gran probably woulda beat me up real bad if you hadn't stopped him."

"Glad to have come, I am," Rahna still wasn't sure what to make of Yoda. He was as small as she was, but walked with a cane and had thin white hair with large pointed ears. She wasn't even sure if he was a child or a grown up. "Tell me young one, strange dreams you have? Know things before they happen, you do?"

"Yeah sometimes, how'd you know that?"

"Strong in the force you are, sense it I did."

"What's the force?"

"Great and mysterious, the force is. It is within all things, and all around us. Their power, from it a Jedi draws." To that Rahna didn't have the slightest idea of how to respond. She also wasn't even sure why Yoda was still talking to her. Most grown-ups would have shooed her away by now, like some annoying pet that was circling their feet.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." That only drew a small chuckle from Yoda, and he extended a hand, helping her off the ground. "Is that how you scared those bullies off, with that force thingie?"

"Yes, with it many things you can do, and many people you can help."

"I can't help anybody, I'm too little," Rahna said, hanging her head.

Again he chuckled, "When your ally, the force is, size matters not. "

"Really? You mean I could stop bullies and help people too?"

"Mmmm, yes."

At that Rahna seemed to get excited for a moment, then stopped to think about it, "But... I don't know how to use the force."

"If trained as a Jedi, you were, the force, your ally would be. "

"Really, can you teach me?" Seemingly excited over the idea of being able to use the force to help people, she stopped when Yoda held up his hand.

"Easy, the life of a Jedi is not. Many trials and hardships will you face. Many sacrifices will you make."

"But, but, I really wanna help people, honest. I'll work hard and be good, promise!"

"Then come you can," The Jedi Master was also surprised when she became excited enough to jump forward and hug him, but used his free hand to return the gesture. Rahna still knew nothing about the Jedi, but for a seemingly inexplicable reason she trusted him. More than anything, Yoda reminded her of a kindly old grandfather. Rahna was also surprised that no one bumped into them in the marketplace, as neither was very tall. Through the streets of Coronet the two walked, until they reached a small landing pad on the outskirts of town. There Rahna got her first up close look at a shuttle. It was a small, sleek, craft that had seen quite a bit of use. To the little girl it looked like a white metal oval with scarred and pitted plating. So fascinated by this, she failed to see the two others approach.

"Who's this?" Qui-Gon said, speaking to Yoda. When Rahna saw him and Obi-Wan Kenobi nearby, she let out a gasp and ran behind a nearby tree.

"What in the world?" Obi-Wan said. She peered out from behind the tree to see Obi-Wan approaching, and he stopped as she nearly ran away, then knelt down. "What's wrong little one? No one's going to hurt you."

Rahna pointed at Qui-Gon, "Mr. Fuzzy Face is scary."

About to say something else, Obi-Wan had to stifle a snicker at the 'Mr. Fuzzy Face' description. "Master Qui-Gon won't hurt you, what makes you think he's scary?"

Stepping out from behind the tree she looked at Qui-gon, who regarded her with a neutral expression. She'd seen him before, even though the two had never met. Rahna was still scared, but felt safe with Yoda nearby, and Obi-Wan was smiling as well. It was strange because none of them were threatening her, so she stepped closer.

"I saw him in a dream. He had this green thingie that went 'zhoom zhoom' when he swung it," she moved both arms around as if swinging a lightsaber. "And there was this lady wearing black. She had a red thingie and made this crackley stuff come out of her hand. He stopped the crackley stuff with the green thingie and then... he killed the lady."

"Master," Obi-Wan said, looking back. "It sounds like she's describing our encounter with Lady Vara on Tinnel."

"She is, although the girl would have to be strong in the force to have seen that in a dream."

Obi-Wan seemed to collect his thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Lady Vara was a bad person who used the red thingie and the crackley stuff, to hurt people and do a lot of mean things. Master Jinn and I went to Tinnel to make her stop, and she tried to use them on us. He didn't want to kill Lady Vara, but she didn't leave him any choice."

"So, he was trying to help people by stopping a bad person?"

"Yes, because that's what Jedi do. We help people." When Rahna walked up to Qui-Gon, he knelt down and offered her a smile as well.

"Hello, I do believe introductions are in order. My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, this is my apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I see you've already met Master Yoda. What's your name?"

"I'm Rahna."

"It's nice to meet you Rahna, how old are you?"

"I'm this many," Holding up a hand she extended all five fingers. "How about you?"

"I'm... a few more than that."

"Yoda said I could come with him and learn to use the force so I can be a Jedi."

"And I'm sure you'll make a fine Jedi one day."

By the time the four of them returned to Coruscant it was late at night and Rahna was tired, but not too tired to ask Obi-Wan 'What's that?' no less than two dozen times, all of which he answered. After an evening meal she was taken to where the other younglings were housed, and Obi-Wan had a short conversation with a Togruta woman by the name of Master Waan'cal who looked after the younglings. There Rahna was allowed to shower, given a new set of clothes, and shown to a room with four beds, but only three other female younglings. Clean, fed, clothed, and warm, Rahna was quite happy, but also growing tired and ready for bed. At her request, Obi-Wan had waited while she showered, and helped her into bed. Then she tugged on the leg of his pants.

"Obi, will you tell me a story?" Rahna had no idea if he would or not, but it came as a pleasant surprise when he sat down on the side of the bed.

"A story? Alright, let me think." Looking up at the ceiling he finally for a time, he settled on an idea. "I'll tell you a story about how a Jedi padawan once saved an entire village. Once upon a time there was a Jedi master and his padawan, who had been sent to a planet to help settle a land dispute between two neighboring villages."

"What were their names?"

"Their names? Oh, uh... the Master's name was Jinzo and his padawan was... Wan-Ken."

"Was Wan-Ken a brave padawan?"

"Oh yes, very brave, and handsome too. Jinzo and Wan-Ken had gone to the planet because two nearby villages were arguing over who got to use some land, and while there, they heard about this big scary monster that was attacking one of the villages. Wan-Ken went to see if he could help, while Master Jinzo spoke with the village elders. The other village was some distance away, so by the time he got there three people had been kil- er- hurt really bad.

Wan-Ken didn't understand why it had attacked, because according to the villagers they had been tending their fields and not doing anything out of the ordinary. So he tracked the monster to a nearby forest to find out where it was hiding. While Wan-Ken was walking through the forest, the monster jumped out from behind some bushes and swung it's really big claws at him." For added effect, Obi-Wan made a claw with his hand and swung it. That caused Rahna to gasp and pull the blanket up until it was almost under her nose.

"It didn't get Wan-Ken did it?"

"No, Jedi have really good reflexes. It missed, and Wan-Ken managed to scare it off. That also let him track the creature back to it's nest, and that was when Wan-Ken learned something very important. The monster, wasn't a monster at all. Even though it had big claws and really sharp teeth, it was a mommy and it had babies that were too sick to move. The creature attacked the villagers because it felt threatened by how close they were, and it was just trying to protect its children."

"What did Wan-Ken do?"

"Well, after using the force to convince the mommy that he wasn't a threat, he healed the babies. That allowed them to move further into the forest away from the people, and there were no more attacks after that."

"Did Master Jinzo get the people to stop arguing?"

"Yes, he did. Once everyone calmed down and talked about it, they found a way to use the land so both villages got what they wanted, and everyone lived happily ever after."

"That was a great story, will you be my friend Obi?"

"Of course, but right now you need to get some sleep. There's a lot to do tomorrow." After Obi-Wan left, Rahna curled up in bed and began to drift off to sleep. Warm, fed, and safe, she was no longer just some kid on the street fighting to make it another day. Now Rahna was a Jedi, or at least she would be eventually.


	3. Chapter I

With a sigh, Rahna closed the book in front of her. Reading through the archives was something she had always enjoyed, but even that couldn't help distract her from the current plight. Tomorrow would be her 13th birthday and she still hadn't been chosen as a padawan. The temple had been her home for years and the last thing Rahna wanted was to be shipped off to the Service Corps. There were so many places she wanted to go, things to do, people to help. That was when a head appeared over a shoulder, and then tilted to the side to look at her. She grinned a little and shoved Argoth to one side. Her friend responded with a small growl, and sat down next to her.

He was one of the more interesting students at the temple, as no one knew exactly what race Argoth was. Found floating through space in an escape pod as an infant, his species and homeworld had remained a mystery. Like Rahna, he'd been taken in by the Jedi as a youngling due to being force sensitive, and the two had become fast friends. About five feet tall with light brown skin, he didn't have a very friendly look about him, despite usually being such. With narrow red eyes, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, the menacing appearance was only made worse by the two small black horns on the side of his head, and cranial plate that adorned the forehead.

"Chur up." The words came out fairly mangled as Argoth's physical construction didn't lend itself to speaking Basic easily.

"How am I suppose to cheer up? If I don't get chosen as a padawan, it's off to the Service Corp I go." That was followed by another sigh. It wasn't a thought that Rahna relished very much, ending up on some backwater planet while other younglings got to continue their training with their new masters.

"Ave faith, get choosen."

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you've already got a master... dweeb." Something else Rahna had considered was leaving the order if she didn't get chosen. It wasn't out of anger, but she wanted to do more to help people than just grow food or some other bland daily task. Rahna had also noticed a lot of the others looking at her as well, most likely sensing the growing unease within. Argoth's new master soon came to collect him, and she gave Qui-gon a polite smile when their eyes met, soon she was alone once more.

There was still one option left Rahna could try. She could go to the Council and ask to be assigned a master. It wasn't something they did very often, but under certain circumstances it had happened before. The odds of the Council agreeing didn't seem good, but there wasn't much else that she could do. Despite learning quickly, and being told she was quite force sensitive more than once, Rahna had never seemed to 'click' with anyone aside from Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Qui-gon. The first was more teacher than master now, and the other two had padawans. All of her other friends were padawans or initiates themselves.

This was one of the times she wished that Obi-Wan were here to talk to, but he was off on a mission with his padawan, and had been away for some time now. Determined not to let her worry turn into depression, Rahna took a deep breath, and decided to move forward with her request. Leaving the archives, she walked the serene halls of the Jedi temple with a destination in mind, her second favorite place, the garden. After a brisk walk she could hear the sound of rushing water upon approach. That brought a smile to her face as there weren't many indoor structures on Coruscant that could brag of having a waterfall.

The gardens always smelled of grass and fresh flowers, dotted by colors of all hues, which put many at ease, though it wasn't quite peaceful at the moment. As Rahna walked through the large arched doorway she could hear the sound of laughing and splashing, knowing well what it was. There were a number of younglings playing in the pool at the base of the waterfall.. As she walked around a large boulder on the edge of the grass near the walkway, the pool came into view. It wasn't just the younglings this time, Master Waan'cal was swimming with them as well. That brought a smile to Rahna's face and she stopped for a moment to watch them. Always taught to look on the good side of things, she thought that if nothing else the Jedi had given her 8 years of safety, security, and a life better than she would have had on the streets of Corellia.

As was often the case this time of day, Yoda was seated on a small rock in a back corner, quietly meditating. He didn't move or look up at Rahna's approach, nor did she speak. Instead she sat down on the grass in front of him. To help pass the time, she began to meditate as well. Closing her eyes, Rahna cleared her mind of any thoughts or emotions that she had, and focused on the Force. Through it she could feel everything around her. She could also focus on specific things as well, Yoda, the younglings, Waan'cal, the other Jedi in the garden, even the rocks, trees, and grass around her. The only problem she was still having involved not focusing on any one thing in particular. To feel everything around her as part of a larger whole was difficult, because her mind wanted to draw toward a single person or object, out of curiosity if nothing else.

"More practice to calm your mind, you need. Yet troubled you are, I sense." Opening her eyes, Yoda was looking at her with that same bright golden gaze she'd come to know so well. Rahna was troubled, and wasn't sure how to approach the matter of what she wanted to ask. The request was as unusual as the circumstances in which it normally took place. Mulling it over in her mind, there didn't seem to be a way to approach this in a diplomatic manner, so it just came out.

"I don't want to be shipped off to the Service Corps. I know tomorrow is my 13th birthday and I haven't been chosen as a padawan, but I have what it takes to be a Jedi, I know I do. So... I wanted to ask if the Council would consider... assigning me a master?" Rather than give an immediate answer, Yoda sat there watching her. Rahna knew patience was one of the core tenants of the Jedi philosophy, but right now every second seemed like an hour with her future hanging in the balance.

"Unusual, this request is, but ask them I will. Tomorrow, an answer you will have." The ease with which the request was agreed to came as a surprise, but it was a welcome one. Although Rahna had seen a future involving farming tools and fields, there was still at least a chance she could become a padawan. To come this far and be so close to failure was also frustrating, after passing her initiate trials two years ago. Perhaps she would be able to attract the attention of a Knight or Master at the Apprentice Trials tomorrow, and the Council wouldn't need to assign a master. The rest of the evening was quiet, and after a meal and a bath, Rahna decided to turn in for the evening.

The next morning she was a mixture of nervousness and excitement, enough so that it made morning meditation difficult. Even though this was her last chance to be selected as a padawan before turning to the Council for help, it was also something that she enjoyed. This would be a chance to pit her skills against fellow initiates, but it wasn't ambition to defeat them that drove her. It was Rahna's chance to see how her skills had grown. In the last tournament she'd placed fifth, after losing to Argoth who was noted for his extremely aggressive combat style. He wouldn't be a concern this year however, as Qui-Gon had chosen him a week ago.

With her meditation nearly finished, Rahna sat there with a disassembled lightsaber floating in the air. This was something she did every morning to keep in practice, and carefully reassembled each piece one by one, until only the cover was left. Unlike most which were metal, Rahna had chosen to cover her lightsaber with what was known as iron wood. The name was a little misleading as there was no iron involved, but it was much stronger than normal wood. Rahna even carved two figures engaged in a lightsaber duel on it, afterward noting that wood carving was not one of her better skills.

Closing her hand around it as the last pieces snapped into place, the blade ignited with a 'kssh', and she was greeted by the brilliant blue hum of a familiar blade. Each Jedi seemed to find peace and solace in their own way, and for Rahna it was the steady pulsing of her blade. The sound, the tiny vibrations it sent through her hand. It was steady, constant, and something she could focus on almost without effort. It also allowed Rahna to do something even some Jedi had trouble with, she simply stopped thinking. Watching the blade, and listening to it hum, this seemingly frozen moment in time allowed her to find that inner peace many often sought for so long. There was no thought, no room, no temple, no other people, just the sound of her own breathing and the steady pulsing of the blade. Releasing the handle the lightsaber remained in the air. The truth of what Yoda said seemed so clear now, so simple, Rahna wasn't trying to hold the weapon in the air, she simply was. 'Do, or do not. There is no try.'

That quickly ended with a pounding on the door of her personal quarters, and deactivating the blade, she got up to answer it. The door slid open to reveal Argoth who was standing there, and nodded down the hall before walking in that direction. The tournament would begin any minute, and the last thing she wanted to do was be late. Following Argoth, the two made their way through the temple to one of the many training chambers throughout. There she found a number of other initiates along with a mixture of masters and knights. They had formed a semi-circle around the chamber with initiates on one side and knights/masters on the other. Most of the chatter was coming from the initiates who were excited. They were all waiting for the first match to start. There were several members of Lion Clan nearby which Rahna was part of, so she walked over to them exchanging a few nods and smiles. Being the oldest in the group she was also the tallest.

"Think you'll do better than fifth this time?" The question came from a human girl with dark hair only a month younger than Rahna, Gemma by name. Another Lion Clan member, the two had a friendly on and off rivalry.

"Nope, I know I will. I'm taking first this year."

"If I don't kick your butt first." Rahna smiled and shoulder bumped the girl while waiting for the first match to begin. She also noticed that Gemma hadn't looked at her the whole time, seemingly focused on someone else, and followed her line of sight to a knight on the other side of the room. He was tall, well-built, and had a very handsome face, but wasn't familiar to Rahna.

"You want a bucket to go with that drool?"

"What? He's cute." That was something that seemed almost universal, even among the Jedi. Despite being trained in self-control they were people as well, both Rahna and Gemma were at the age were young men were becoming a lot more interesting than they had been before. Initiates however were less likely to make 'hasty' decisions in this regard. When the crowd parted, all eyes were on Master Windu as he stepped into the middle of the chamber.

"I want to thank all of you for coming here. As you know, each year we hold this tournament for Initiates so other Jedi can see the best and the brightest that we have to offer. So without further ado, let the match begin." There wasn't a set in stone commencement address for the Apprentice Trials, and Rahna appreciated the fact that Mace wasn't one for long speeches. She was more interested in who would be involved with the first match and how it would turn out. It was Ki Adi Mundi who stepped forward holding a small data pad to announce who would be involved in the first round.

"The first match will be between Initiates Posnel and Rahna." Hearing her name, Rahna stepped into the ring, and waited for Posnel. The young man in question was two years her junior, three inches shorter, and possessed of a slightly disheveled appearance. His dirty blond hair was unkempt and it wasn't the first time the two had crossed blades. Lightsaber combat wasn't one of Posnel's better subjects, but Rahna knew better than to underestimate any opponent. With the force as your ally, almost anything was possible.

Rather than taking the hilt off the belt loop, Rahna pulled it into her hand using the force, and adjusted the power setting to match that of a training saber before igniting it. Trying to maintain a look and sense of confidence, she stood there. Lightsaber extended out to one side, Rahna waited for him to make the first move. Posnel opted for holding his blade directly out front with both hands, then came forward with a quick overhead swing. Even though the stance appeared to leave her open, the attack was easily deflected with a single swing, and the two were soon exchanging a rapid series of blows.

Posnel wasn't holding back and the attacks forced her to take the defensive. It was obvious that he'd put in a lot of practice since their last duel. She also noted that Posnel was too focused on offense and not paying attention in other areas. When he came forward to renew the attack, Rahna delivered a kick to the shin that dropped him to a knee. That was followed by a tap to the side of the shoulder with the lightsaber that scored her a point, and left a small burn mark on the robe.

The two parted and resumed their combat stances. Posnel attacked again in much the same manner as before. When he brought the blade down, Rahna moved to block, only to have him stop short and drop a hand to deliver a point blank force push. It caught her off guard and the next thing she was looking at was the ceiling. He tapped the lightsaber on the side of Rahna's leg to score a point, before they once again readied themselves.

The duel continued on for several more minutes with hectic, sometimes sloppy, blade work. Sometimes their blades met, and others they missed each other altogether. They were also using just about every trick that came to mind. Pushes, leaps, old-fashioned head-butts, whatever it took to score a point, which each of them did. There was also a small chuckle from the crowd whilst amid a rapid series of blade swings, Rahna aimed for a thigh, but ended up delivering a blade slap to the backside. Posnel responded not to long after with a smack right between the eyes, leaving a visible burn mark on her forehead that Rahna had to concentrate on to heal . As it was a three point match, the next one to score would win. The last thing she planned to do was be eliminated in the first round. This time Rahna took the offensive and charged at Posnel with a flurry of attacks both high and low, turning the match into quite a light show of hisses and pops as their blades met. The only pause was when their blades met and they pushed against each other.

"Give it up Posnel, this match is mine."

"Oh yeah, you and what army?" He smiled, then blew in Rahna's face causing her to blink as a reflex. That split second was enough time for Posnel to knock the blade from her hand. She could see him swinging around to make contact, and her hands weren't in a position to deliver a force push fast enough. Acting more on reflex than conscious intent, she channeled the force through her leg instead and stomped a foot, sending out a wave that knocked Posnel's legs out from under him. The impact of face meet floor stunned the boy, and pulling her own lightsaber back in hand, Rahna ignited the blade and gently touched it to his back scoring the winning point. Once Posnel had regained his senses, she also gave him a hand up.

"What was that thing you did with your foot?"

"I dunno, just kinda winged it on that part really." After Posnel reclaimed his lightsaber, the boy seemed rather crestfallen over losing in the first round. "Don't take it so hard, you've improved a lot since we last dueled. I'm sure you'll become a padawan soon enough."

He offered a bit of a smile in response, but she could tell his pride had taken more of a hit than his face. Returning to the sidelines, she received a number of pats on the back from other Lion Clan members, except for Gemma.

"Getting sloppy there Red, letting him catch you off guard like that, twice no less."

"Yeah yeah yeah, just wait your turn." There was truth to what Gemma had said however, Posnel had caught her off guard twice, and it nearly lost her the match. If Rahna wanted to come out on top this year, she would have to stop worrying about finding a master and focus on the task at hand. The Council didn't hold all of the matches in one place, and they weren't always announced beforehand, so she would have to keep her guard up. There were two more matches held in the training chamber before they adjourned, and she clapped at the appropriate times, but paid little mind beyond that.

Right now Rahna was trying to think of ways to improve her performance. After the first three matches, the initiates started to socialize with the knights and masters. Two were even picked without having to compete, but as always Rahna was left standing. She was beginning to wonder if there was some giant grotesque horn growing out of the middle of her forehead that she couldn't see. On the way out of the training chamber, someone fell into step beside her.

"That was an interesting technique you used in the match, what do you call that, force stomp?" The pleasant bearded face baring a smile, was Rahna's oldest friend at the temple, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Obi, you're back. How did the mission on Basilar go?"

"The negotiations were dull and boring for once. The Council also asked me to relay their decision about assigning you a master." That this was coming from her friend and not the Council directly, it seemed to her as if they were trying to pad an incoming blow. If that were the case the tournament would be Rahna's last hope before having to face the Council of Reassignment.

"They rejected my request didn't they?"

"I'm afraid they did." Hearing that caused Rahna's heart to drop, and now she had to fight back the tears. The Service Corps seemed to be looming closer and closer, and to her, that was worse than being tossed out wholesale. Ever since that day in the alley on Corellia, when Yoda came to her rescue, the only thing Rahna had wanted was to be a Jedi.

"Did they say why?"

"I believe it was something to do with a padawan only being allowed one master." Obi-Wan stopped two steps ahead as one could almost hear the brakes squealing as she stopped. That brought a look of confusion to Rahna's face as no part of that last statement made sense. She didn't have one master, let alone two. Still trying to piece that together mentally, she began to notice the expression on Obi-wan's face. It might seem normal to most, but Rahna knew it as the 'he's up to something' look, accentuated by a tiny upturn of one corner of the mouth. Obi-Wan was waiting for her to figure it out.

"Alright, what's the deal? I don't have a master, you know that."

"You do now." The first thing she did was look around to see if there was anyone else nearby, only to find the two of them were alone in the hallway. All of the others had since departed while they were talking, leaving the two of them alone.

"No way! What about Asja?"

"She passed the knight trials before I left for Basilar. Happy birthday?" Rahna let out an ear piercing squeal and almost power tackled Obi-Wan with a hug. What was starting out as one of the worst days of her life, had just become the best birthday ever. Rahna about shook his robe off from excitement, before finally regaining her composure and taking a step back.

"Feeling better I take it?" Obi-Wan said, adjusting his robe.

"Better than ever, what do we do now, Master?"

"How good are you at solving mysteries?"


	4. Chapter II

Jurna Melon in hand, Argoth ate with the grace and manners of a Rancor. It was something that did seem to annoy his new master, but so far Qui-gon hadn't said anything. The thick red skin and juicy orange center were both being inhaled in equal measure as the padawan walked down the hall to the landing pad on top of the temple. Qui-gon had been given a new mission by the Council and as a padawan, Argoth would dutifully follow, learn, listen, and tear anyone in half if they tried to hurt him or his new master. With a slight forward hunch in his walk, the padawan had been listening to Qui-Gon explain that they had been dispatched as part of a peacekeeping mission to prevent a possible civil war.

"So talk nice?"

"No, we're not going to Habel as mediators. There are elements on both sides of this conflict who oppose the peace talks. Our job is to make sure the delegates remain safe while they work out the details of the treaty."

"Not local s'curity?"

"Neither side can trust local security enough to allow them into the conference room, that's where we come in. Our job will be to escort them to and from the meetings, and keep them safe while they talk."

Argoth tried to say something else three different times, but his difficulty in speaking Basic made it almost impossible. Frustrated by this he finally cut loose with a string of 'colorful metaphors' in the one language he could speak well, Shyriiwook, drawing an arched brow from Qui-Gon. More than once he'd been referred to as the 'short hairless wookie' though it was normally a playful jest. S"Do you think someone will try something while we're there Master?"S

"It's possible, but for once I hope the Jedi's reputation as warriors will precede us, making anyone think twice about foolish decisions." Argoth said nothing, but secretly hoped that someone would try something stupid. It had been some time since he'd had a real fight, and the padawan was getting antsy. With nothing but a few seeds left in his hands, Argoth reached into his robe and pulled out of box of six ration bars, and began to eat those as well, wrapper and all. Capable of biting through and digesting solid bone, he rarely let packaging stand in the way of a meal.

"Are you alright? You been eating almost non-stop since breakfast."

"Hungy." Qui-Gon let the matter drop, yet when Argoth thought about it, his appetite had picked up over the last few days. He could eat enough food for three human sized people, and be hungry ten minutes later. It was also dismissed as a case of the munchies as they walked out onto the rooftop. The building spread out on either side of the exit, into large work bays were the vehicles used by the Jedi were housed and maintained. The large open landing pad was home to a wide variety of vessels, but one in particular caught Argoth attention. A Jedi starfighter.

The single pilot vehicle was wedge shaped and appeared to have seen its fair share of battle. Even after being repaired and repainted, one could still see small dings and cuts along the surface. Losing himself in thought for a moment, Argoth wondered what it would be like to fly one through a battlefield, surrounded by enemy vessels, weapons blazing to the sound of tearing metal and explosions.

"Mind the present Argoth." He blinked a few times and quickly caught up to Qui-Gon as he walked up the ramp of a small transport vessel. Designed for a half dozen people at most, there was a modest sized compartment in the back that lead directly to the cockpit. Argoth took a seat in the co-pilot's chair, and looked out the window. This would only be the fourth time he'd been off Coruscant since being found by the Jedi. After a moment when the engines didn't start, he glanced over to see Qui-Gon sitting there quietly watching him.

The ignition chip had already been slotted and Argoth realized that Qui-Gon was waiting on him. With a toothy grin he rubbed both hands together and began to work the controls. Going through the pre-flight check, he pressed a number of buttons, flicked switches, then pressed the ignition... nothing happened. Furrowing his brow, Argoth pressed the button two more times, then began to look over the control panel. Muttering under his breath, the engine limiter safety was turned off, and with a fourth tap the vessel powered up.

Minor embarrassment aside, they lifted off and soon the bright blue Coruscant sky gave way to the dark void of space. Piloting was one of Argoth better skills, and he was enjoying the chance to be behind the controls of vessel for more than a simple atmospheric flight. After looking up the coordinates for Habel in the nav-computer, he punched them in and waited for the calculation to provide a safe jump route. Once they were ready, he looked over at Qui-Gon who gave a slight nod. Almost punching the button to activate the hyperdrive, the stars lunged forward in streaks as they entered hyperspace. Even if this was a low risk peacekeeping affair, Argoth was excited to go on his first official mission as a padawan.

"Now that we have some time to spare, how about some lessons in strategy and reflexes?" The one thing Argoth wasn't in the mood for were more lessons. Since becoming Qui-Gon's padawan, he'd been drilled almost day and night on more aspects of being a Jedi than he was able to remember at the moment. Regardless, he played the part of a dutiful padawan, and followed his master into the back of the transport. Taking a seat on one of the benches, he watched as Qui-Gon took a small cloth bag from one of the overhead compartments.

From within he produced a small hologram board and turned it on. As he sat down, Argoth could see chess pieces on a square grid board. The strategy part of the lesson he could see, but didn't understand how chess played into reflexes. After placing it on a small stand between them, Qui-Gon took out a memory crystal and replaced the one that was already there. The chess board was replaced by a slowly spinning logo that read 'Eternity Fighter 7'. That really perked Argoth up, because this was a one-on-one fighting game, and something of a guilty pleasure. The Jedi always advocated peace and tranquility, so the only time he got to play was running errands at the temple that involved deliveries. On the way back he would sneak off to the local arcade for a game or two, before returning to avoid raising suspicion.

Not sure how to react, he looked at Qui-Gon, only to see a smile and wink, then they got started. Argoth won the first few rounds easily, but Qui-Gon was a quick learner, and soon they were tapping buttons furiously and fighting an even bout. After nearly two hour they finally stopped playing and the game was put away.

"Now, study and listen to what I teach you, and next week we can have a rematch."

"Awesome." The both returned to the front of the shuttle, and Argoth checked the nav-computer to see that they were only a few minutes away from their destination. When they finally dropped out of hyperspace, the bright blue world of Habel was anything but welcoming. There were a dozen ships from both factions engaged in a firefight above the planet. Only two were medium sized, the rest were small crafts not much larger than the transport they were in. About that time the ship's comm-system activated.

"This is Captain of the Elltiri vessel Armok. On behalf of the the provisional government, I order you to withdraw from Habel space... Jedi." This was followed by a burst of static.

"...no right to speak on behalf of Talran people. Master Jedi, proceed to the landing coordinates I'm sending you, we'll cover your descent."

"Peace fail."

"I noticed, but we still need to see if there's a way to bring this conflict to an end before there's more bloodshed. You might want to strap in." They both did just that, and Qui-Gon switched from computer guidance to manual, grabbed the U shaped control stick, and steered them away from the fight. As soon as they moved, three Elltiri fighters broke formation to pursue, and three Talran fighters broke to pursue them. Argoth immediately switched the ship's deflectors to double back and began to work the controls for the single laser turret on the top of the ship.

Before long the space behind them lit up with both Elltiri and Talran laser fire as the small side battle got underway. Qui-Gon way flying in an erratic pattern toward Habel, while Argoth fired at the three pursuing vessels. At one point he nearly shot a Talran fighter, but was fortunate enough to miss. One of the fighters pushed his engines hard to close the distance, and Argoth was able to get a target lock. They exchanged fire and the transport's deflectors held, the fighter's didn't. The fire tore through the triangle shaped vessel's wing and sent it spiraling out of control.

As the planet got closer, much heavier fire from a turbo laser screamed through space in front of them. Argoth looked in that direction to see the Elltiri command ship breaking away to engage them as well. Angered by this, he fired back scoring a dozen or so direct hits against their deflectors, but might as well have thrown a rock out the airlock for all the good it did.

Three more shots flew by, each one getting closer, and even Argoth knew that a single direct hit would scatter them across space. From the other side of the window he could see the Talran command ship flying directly into the path of the incoming fire. Wider than it was tall, the vessel rotated ninety degrees to show the top of the ship to the enemy. Argoth couldn't believe what he was seeing, because most vessel were design to fire forward at various degrees, and this angle would only provide a small targeting solution.

S"Is he crazy, that's suicide!"S

"No, that's a captain who doesn't want to see his world torn apart by war." By now the Talran fighters had destroyed the other two Elltiri fighters, and Qui-Gon pushed the ship's engines 20% past what they were rated for to reach the planet as fast as possible, and ignored the small warning bleep and flashing light on the console in front of him. By the time they had to slow down to enter the atmosphere, there was an explosion from behind powerful enough to rattle the vessel. Even Argoth could feel the sense of triumph from the Elltiri, and loss from the Talran. They hadn't even landed on the planet and he already disliked one side in the conflict. The Elltiri had tried to kill them, while the Talran had sacrificed some of their best hoping for peace.

It put Argoth in a sour mood as they came in for a landing, because it was a fight that he'd wanted, not a full scale war. There was a difference between busting some heads and the wholesale slaughter of entire armies because a few people in positions of power couldn't get along. Even at the tender age of thirteen, Argoth didn't like warmongering governments, because of all the innocent people who were sent to their deaths, just so someone could feel justified that their point of view was better than the person on the other side of the line on a map.

The space port they landed at was small, located in a rural area just outside a small community. In truth it was little more than a square of pavement with some paint on it. The surrounding landscape was a valley surrounded by a large canyon on three sides, with the town between them and the exit. As they disembarked, Argoth could see quite a bit of activity. There were soldiers on patrol as others worked on a large shield generator in the center of down, and a several of surface to air batteries. Even Argoth could see the strategy here. An assault on the ground would have been hard pressed to force their way into the valley. The only means of inflicting serious damage was from the air, but between the shield generator and the anti-air batteries, even that would be risky. The town may have been small, but they were digging in for an extended siege.

The population of Habel was almost entirely human, so there was only the odd alien here and there. They were approached by a small delegation of men in colorful robes, in the lead was an older man with gray hair and a small goatee. They seemed to be in good spirits despite the dire situation, but even Argoth could feel that it was an act. Under the calm exterior, they were as upset and distressed as everyone else. As was often the case, it was up to the leaders to appear calm and rational no matter the circumstances.

"Fair day to you Master Jedi, I am Kelim, leader of the Talan people. I'm sorry we can't offer you a more hospitable greeting, but as you can see, the situation has deteriorated since we last contacted you. Please, follow me."

"What happened?" Qui-gon said. As they walked toward the town, Argoth made it a point to keep an eye out. When there were open hostilities like this, anything was liable to happen.

"Three days ago the Elltiri provisional government launched an attack against the capitol without warning, razed it, and most of the Talran government. Prior to the attack, I was the Minister of Education if that tells you anything."

"What about the peace delegation?"

"They were in the capitol when the attack started, and most of them were killed as well. Chancellor Garrik is with us and I suggest you talk to him for the Elltiri side of this." Argoth noted that his master was still calm, which was no surprise, but he was still trying to figure out why the Elltiri would kill their own people in an attack. Because they Jedi served the Republic, it was almost impossible for them not to get involved in political matters to some extent, but that was one thing Argoth hated. Were it up to him, the Jedi would help people who needed it, rather than letting politics dictate the majority of their actions.

The town was comprised of less than fifty buildings, and few of them were more than two stories. As they walked through the town square, the shops appeared to be closed, and only a few civilians could be seen peering out through windows. Argoth could tell they were expecting an attack any minute, and the fear was almost palpable. The building the entered wasn't in the center of town, nor highly visible, which was a good tactical decision. Instead it was a small one room structure that was brightly lit. In the center there was a large wooden table with maps, charts, and what appeared to be other information related to their military.

At the opposite end was a man who appeared out of place. Unlike the Talran who wore mostly robed and simple clothing, Chancellor Garrik, an older man with wrinkled skin and white hair, was dressed in a solid black bodysuit, covered by black armor glowing blue lines running along the edges. It was a very advanced suit of armor and even Argoth was slightly impressed. He was also rubbing his brow with a hand, and only looked up as they approach.

"Oh thank the Creator you made it in one piece. I feared you'd been shot down."

"Jedi no die ersy." With a few soldiers scattered around the room, Kelim, Qui-Gon, and Argoth took seats near Garrik and waited for him to continue.

"To answer a few questions, the Elltiri government didn't order this attack. Three days ago High General Dehgo Sarnis lead a coup and seized power. He then executed the First Minister and his entire cabinet. I was trying to negotiate the peace treaty with the Talran and barely had time to hear about the coup before the attack started."

"Did the High General oppose the peace negotiations?"

"No, he didn't. I knew there were elements in our military who didn't want peace, so I talked with Dehgo a few days before I came here to gauge his opinion on the matter. He didn't have one, and I quote, 'I'm getting too old for this crap. All I want to do is ride out my last two months and retire.'"

"Why Elltiri Talran fight?"

"That's... part of the problem," Kelim said, lowering his head slightly. "The Elltiri and Talran people have been fighting with each other on and off for over 400 years. The truth is, we don't remember what started it." That caused Argoth to actually face plant the table in frustration.

"Do you know why the High General attacked?"

"No, I honestly don't. I've known Dehgo since we were at the academy together. He can be a hard man, and quite stubborn at times, but he's not a warmonger. He cares about the lives of his soldiers." By the time Argoth sensed the hostile intent in the room, Qui-Gon was already coming out of his chair. In a single smooth motion he turned, lightsaber ignited, and one of the soldiers lost a hand as he thought to point a blaster at Kelim. Of the four remaining guards, one of them yelled traitor, and three of them shot the wounded guard. The fourth tried to complete the task his compatriot failed to during the confusion that followed.

Now it was Argoth's turn to act, but rather than draw his shoto saber, the padawan launched himself out of the chair, mouth first. Jaws closed around soldiers forearm as teeth tore through flesh and broke bone, causing to man to let out a horrendous cry. The limb came loose and was tossed aside with a snap of his head. With his head slumped against the wall, the second guard held what was left of his other arm, and looked at Argoth with a fearful expression. The padawan was standing with one foot on his chest and vibrating his jaw, so blood soaked teeth made a menacing chattering sound. In the past Argoth had discovered that a lot of people found in unnerving. The other reason for staring the man down at such close range, was so the other guards didn't shoot him. They needed someone to interrogate.

Once things had calmed down, Argoth looked at the man, waved a hand, and tried to say something in Basic. The soldier responded by blinking a few times, then looking at him oddly. When nothing happened, he let out an annoyed grunt and stepped back. Qui-Gon then approached the man and knelt down, doing much the same as Agroth.

"Are you an Elltiri spy?"

"No, I'm an assassin sent by the general to destroy the rest of the Talran leadership."

"Who else were you supposed to kill, and how many more of you are there?"

"Just Minister Kelim, the only other person I knew of was Waln," the man said, nodding to the dead soldier. As Qui-Gon stood up, the other soldiers in the room dragged the assassin outside, and the door hard barely closed before a dozen carbine rounds were fired.

"This is worse than I thought," Kelim said, shaking his head. "If General Sarnis is sending assassins to wipe out the rest of the Talran leadership, I think he means to wipe us out altogether."

"If Dehgo did try to wipe the Talran out, that would be the single stupidest thing he's ever done," Garrik said. "Even during times of war there's still trade between our people. We can't survive without each other." That rather interesting comment drew the attention of both Jedi, and they looked to him for a further explanation as they retook their seats at the table. "Have you seen the land that the Elltiri republic sits on, it's not exactly prime real estate for growing crops. Over eighty percent of the food we eat comes from trade with the Talran."

"Yes, and most of the metals and other precious ores in Talran come from the Elltiri. It's a rather dysfunctional, but symbiotic relationship that we have," Kelim said.

"Get Dehgo, war stop?"

"Unfortunately not," Garrick said. "If Dehgo is taken out of the picture, his subordinate General Ransin will only take his place, and he's not very fond of the Talran people. The only way to stop this conflict, will be for Dehgo to issue an order to stand down and withdraw." Before the conversation could continue further, from outside they heard the sound of explosions rippling across the shield, and someone yelling that they were under attack.


	5. Chapter III

Obi-Wan's return to the temple hadn't been merely to accept Rahna as his padawan, it was also to accept a new assignment from the Council. From what she'd been told they normally didn't come back to back so quickly, however this was important. Once more Rahna was in the temple archives, following Obi-Wan to the one place she'd never been allowed, the restricted section. After a short conversation with Master Jocasta Nu, she unlocked the door and Rahna was all eyes. This was one of the few places in the temple that she hadn't been, and while Obi-Wan was tracking down a reference number nearby, she was taking in the title on the spine of every book in sight.

One in particular titled 'Nightsister Magic' caught Rahna's attention, and she reached out with a hand, only to stop short hearing Obi-Wan clear his throat. Hands now stuffed in the pockets, she stayed close after that, and when the book in question was tracked down they left the restricted section. They took a seat at a nearby table and the title of the book, 'The Lightsaber Assassin', told why it was restricted.

"That's not a cheesy book title is it?"

"Unfortunately no, it's the Council's collected case files on the subject in question." Rather than immediately bombarding her new master with a litany of questions, Rahna took the book and began to skim through it while he looked over a data pad. This was a case the Jedi had been looking into for over a century. The suspect(s) used a lightsaber as the primary weapon to kill their targets, and always left a calling card in the form of the victim's severed head being laid in their lap. The problem they had was the seemingly random nature of the attacks.

The assassin would strike without warning, disappear just as quickly, and left little evidence. To make matters worse there were times they would go dormant for years. The victims came from all walks of life, rich, poor, influential, common, but there didn't appear to be any discernible pattern. The assassin had almost been captured once, by Master Dooku, prior to his departure from the order. From that they learned the assassin didn't just use a lightsaber, they had the training to back it up, including substantial ability in the use of the force. The suspect ultimately escaped capture and after that the order lost track of them.

"Master, didn't you once tell me that Senator Palpatine's older brother was killed in a ground speeder accident some years ago?"

"Yes, about 20 or so, why?"

"Look at this," Rahna said, turning the book toward him. "According to this case file, 21 years ago a Muun businessman by the name of Hego Damask was found murdered in his apartment on Naboo." The two swapped, with Obi-Wan taking the book and handing her the data pad. From that she learned the assassin had struck again, this time it was on Alderaan. One of the provincial governors had been found by a servant in his personal study, head severed by a lightsaber, laying in his lap. Prior to the death he'd been under investigation for bribery and corruption, but otherwise didn't stand out.

"Does the Council know if any of the victims were force sensitive?"

"Hmm? Only a few that we know of. Bring the book, I'll have Master Nu make a copy."

"Where are we going?"

"To see Senator Palpatine of course." Master Nu took the book at the front desk, and gave them an electronic copy of the information which Rahna held on to, and continued to read over the case files on the way. She'd never met Senator Palpatine in person, but knew that Obi-Wan had a long standing friendship. The senate building wasn't that far away, and soon the two of them were walking through the halls of the massive domed structure to speak with the senator from Naboo. Rahna had her face buried in the data pad looking over years of reports, some of which were older than her or Obi-Wan put together. She didn't look up until realizing that he'd stopped, and looked back.

"Tell me Rahna, what do you sense?" Not sure what Obi-Wan meant by this, she closed her eyes and focused. Through the force it was possible to feel the emotions of the people in the senate building. There were so many it was hard to sort through them or focus on any one thing in particular, and after a moment she looked at him.

"Fear, anxiety, deception, tension, curiosity?"

"Always be mindful of your surroundings, especially here. No one is quite what they seem." As they continued through the large arched hallways to the offices, Rahna tried to do as Obi-Wan said and looked around carefully. There were species from all over the galaxy represented here, many of them wearing long flowing robes that were quite expensive. Even though Rahna hadn't been exposed to many politicians, she had heard people disparaging their reputation in general, and some outright calling them scum. She tried not to form preconceived ideas about anyone, but also took Obi-Wan's advice and tried to keep her guard up.

When they reached Senator Palpatine's office and Obi-Wan announced himself, requesting an audience, and the two human guards at the door allowed them in. They came to a small reception area with a wrap around desk that had a door on either side leading further in. Upon seeing Obi-Wan, the man behind the desk offered a bright smile.

"Master Kenobi, how are you today?"

"I'm well, thank you. Is the senator here?"

"Yes, and I don't believe there are any scheduled meetings right now, just a moment." The man reached down pressing a button on the desk and spoke into it, but no response came. He tried two more times with the same result and seemed to be puzzled by this. Getting up from the desk he walked into the office. It was a modest sized room with the far wall being made of solid blast proof glass.

Aside from several life sized statues and some painting on the wall, the only thing of note in the room was the large wooden desk. There was a high backed chair turned away from them, and Rahna could see an arm on one of the chair's rests, but there was no movement. She was starting to get a little worried as they approached, until hearing a dull snore. The receptionist rolled his eyes and returned to the front desk, while Obi-Wan walked over and placed a hand on the top of the chair.

"Hard at work again are we?" This caused the senator to awaken with a small start.

"Oh goodness, I-I must dozed off. Obi-Wan?" When the Senator stood up, it was the first time Rahna had gotten the chance to see her up close. Almost a head shorter than Obi-Wan and slender, her long blonde hair, pulled back into a neat bun, was beginning to pepper gray. Wearing an elegant blue robed accentuated with silver trim, she had a pleasant face, but a career in politics had begun to take a toll, especially in terms of wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. The Senator placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled, then took notice of Rahna.

"Who is this lovely young lady?"

"Anata, I'd like you to meet my new padawan." The woman walked over and regarded her with a smile, though Rahna wasn't sure how to react. Obi-Wan had warned her that no one here was as they seemed, yet appeared to be on a first name basis with the Senator.

"Good morning dear, how are you?" She extended a hand. "Senator Anata Palpatine, at your service." That was something else that took Rahna off-guard, as she did know senators rarely shook hands, it was considered a security risk. Nevertheless she didn't want to be rude, and took Anata's hand, offering a small bow of the head.

"My name is Rahna, it's a pleasure to meet you Senator." With the greeting out of the way, Anata walked to a small wet bar at the back of the room, pouring herself a drink from a container with a light brown liquid, followed by a glass of water, then stopped and looked back at Rahna. She shook her head lightly, and the water was handed off to Obi-Wan.

"Now, I don't imagine you came here for a social call, at least not with your padawan in tow. What can I do for you?"

"I came to ask you about your brother Sheev."

"There's a name I haven't heard in a long time." The way her faced scrunched up into it was obvious this topic wasn't one she expected. "What about him? He died in a ground speeder accident over twenty years ago." From the file she'd read in the archives, Rahna knew that his death was ruled a homicide, as there had been evidence the deceleration unit in his speeder was tampered with. Despite this, local security forces on Naboo had been unable to name any suspects in the case.

"Does the name Hego Damask sound familiar?"

"Funny you should mention him..." Atana said, sipping at her drink. "I do vaguely recall Sheev having some dealings with Hego, while he was part of the Junior Senatorial Program back home. Father wasn't too happy about it and there was this big blow up over it, then three days later he died. This is all old news though."

"Yes, but a few days ago there was a murder on Alderaan, we have reason to believe it may be linked to the Damask case."

"Ah, now I see," She smiled and wagged a finger at Obi-Wan. "And you want me to have Naboo Security release the Damask file to you." Anata walked to her desk and took a seat, placing a call to Naboo. After a short conversation with Naboo Security, she gave Obi-Wan a memory crystal, and they departed.

"Do be sure to visit again... any time you want." Rahna looked back to see the senator watching Obi-Wan leave with an oddly pleasant expression on her face. Not sure what that was all about, she waited until they were some distance away to say something.

"Master, I could be wrong, but I think the Senator likes you, a lot."

"Yes well, we're friends... very good friends."

"What do we do now?"

"Now, we head to Alderaan." After the short trip back to the temple, they were soon flying through space above the glittering world of Coruscant. Instead of a transport, Obi-Wan had opted to take a pair of Delta-7 light interceptors, which most at the temple simply called Jedi Starfighters. Even though this was just an investigation, Obi-Wan wanted to err on the side of caution in case they ran into any trouble. Connected to a pair of hyperspace docking rings, they were preparing to leave, and Rahna was feeling a little excited. This was the first time she'd flown a starfighter outside of simulations in the temple, even though she was qualified to fly one, if just barely.

"You okay over there Rahna?"

"Yeah, this is kinda cool, I'm flying starfighter."

"Well, hopefully that's all we'll be doing with them. You have the coordinates set?"

"Sure do, right R6?" The astromech droid in Rahna's starfighter chirped and bleeped in the affirmative. At Obi-Wan's signal they activated the docking rings, the ships streaking their way into hyperspace. Rahna was already thinking over the investigations, and the problems they would face in trying to track down this Lightsaber Assassin. There was very little information to go on, they didn't even have a name or a face to work with, and it didn't seem likely the suspect would hang around for very long. The jump put them along the Correlian Run trade route, so it wouldn't take long to reach the Alderaan. With time to think, Rahna opened up a comm-channel.

"Master, what are your thoughts about this Lightsaber Assassin? It seems almost like contract killings, yet... something doesn't fit. I doubt anyone as highly trained in the force as what Master Dooku described, would be doing this just for money. Then there's the matter of not knowing if there's more than one person involved."

"It's hard to tell without more information, but I agree that something does seem out of place. Hopefully we'll learn more once we reach Alderaan. I don't like the idea of someone committing murders with a lightsaber, gives us all a bad name." Ranha agreed with the last part of that statement, and looking down to the control to see how long the trip would be, she thought about the reputation of a Jedi. They weren't liked the galaxy over, by any means. There were some world like Tatooine that were, at times, openly hostile to them. Nevertheless this could prove to be a problem because there were those who would consider anyone wielding a lightsaber a Jedi, not knowing any better, and their reputation would suffer as a result.

"Rahna, I'm sending you a copy of the Damask case. I want you to go over this with me to see if we can uncover anything."

"Do you really think we'll be able to find any useful information from something this old?"

"You never know when the slightest detail could make all the difference." With due diligence she brought the file up, and started to go over it carefully. It all seemed fairly cut and dried until she came to the section with the crime scene images. It would seem Anata had given them the uncensored version, as one of them showed Hego, in a black business suit, seated on a mostly destroyed couch holding his head in his lap. Rahna winced at this, then started to flip through the rest of the images.

"Rahna, are you looking at the crime scene images?"

"Yes, I am..." As she flipped through them, there were a number of images that showed not only lightsaber marks in the walls, they were in a crisscross pattern that made it look as if the burns had come from more than one source. What caught her interest even more were the images with notations from local security that read 'electrical burns, source unknown.' Even an initiate would know this was caused by Force Lightning. From the number of images taken, and angles, it was possible to have the computer recreate the penthouse in a 3D view. When the image was compiled, Rahna let out a small whistle.

"Wow, looks like a thermal detonator went off in this place."

"One thing's for sure, Hego didn't go down without a fight. From the angles of the lightsaber strikes, and the Force Lightning burns, are you thinking what I am?"

"Hego was trained in the Darkside?" After that they both checked the notations by the Jedi who had investigated the case. Master Dragos had come to the same conclusion, noting that it seemed likely Hego Damask was trained in the use of the dark side of the Force. Also making an entry that when she walked into the room, it was still a lingering presence. What wasn't found was a lightsaber, meaning the assassin had most likely taken it with them after Hego was killed.

"While this is interesting, I don't see much here that would tell us anything about the assassin."

"Then perhaps you should look again. Both of them used Force Lightning, that's not a technique normally available to dark side novices. Also if you look at the image of Hego, notice the condition of his throat just below the cut. It's been crushed, but the bruise is circular and goes all the way around."

"A force choke?"

"Precisely, who ever this is, is no novice if they're able to take down someone like Hego, and evade Master Dooku." Rahna thought about that, and didn't like where this was going. The more they investigated this Lightsaber Assassin, the more dangerous they seemed to become. Even without knowing the full extent of Hego's training in the Darkside, he'd put up quite a fight, and still lost. That was when something else clicked, which made her eyes widen.

"Master, you don't think this assassin is a... Sith Lord?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't seem likely. The Sith have been gone for 1,000 years. If they had returned the Jedi would almost certainly know about it." The mystery of the Lightsaber Assassin only deepened the more they looked into it, and Rahna had quite a few speculations, but nothing to back any of them up.

It took nearly four hours for them to reach Alderaan, after dropping out of hyperspace and making another short jump. That was when the planet came into view which brought a smile to Rahna's face. It was as beautiful from space as it looked in the archive's images. Initiates didn't go offworld nearly as much as padawans or Jedi, so being able to see Alderaan in person was a real treat for her. The planet was buzzing with a number of ships coming and going. The level of traffic told Rahna the world was a considerable center of commerce and tourism. Obi-Wan contacted ground control and they were directed to a landing pad in Aldera, the world's capitol city. Following her master in, Rahna was all eyes as they approached.

"Master, it's beautiful."

"Yes it is." Rahna set the controls to autopilot, then took out a small holoimager with a high capacity memory crystal and began snapping images. She even smiled at R6 and snapped a picture of it, to which the astromech bleeped and warbled wondering why. The mission was very serious, and Rahna had every intention of treating it that way, but didn't see a reason not to enjoy the sights along the way as well. As they landed she also took notice of their destination, the Aldera Royal Palace. That made matters more interesting, and she put the camera away, curious as to why they had landed here. Climbing out of the starfighter, Rahna hopped down and fell into step next to Obi-Wan.

"Why are we at the palace?"

"Watch and learn my padawan." As they moved along the white marble walkway leading from the landing pad to the palace, Rahna could see a small party approaching. There were four guards dressed in white over silver, the colors of the House of Organa, what appeared to be an older functionary, and one person that she would have had to have been deaf and blind not to recognize.

"Master Kenobi, thank you for replying to our request so quickly."

"Senator Organa, it's a pleasure to meet you. Although I must say I'm a little surprised. I thought you were on Coruscant."

Bail smiled a little hearing that. "Contrary to popular belief, even senators have lives outside the senate. I was here on a personal vacation, or at least that was the idea. Please, follow me." They walked through a pair of large metal doors, and Rahna looked around at the palace with its high vaulted ceilings converging overhead. Much like the walkway, the floors and ceiling appeared to be made of white marble with pale silver veins running through them, that shimmered in the light at the right angle. There were statues made of stone carved by master sculptors depicting people she didn't know, numerous paintings framed by gold that seemed to display important events or figures, and white over silver draperies, giving the palace a very opulent appearance. Rahna could see the Organa family was wealthy and they displayed it, but not in a tasteless or gaudy manner.

There were a lot of servants and soldiers moving about, and nothing seemed amiss, but Rahna could feel a strong undercurrent of tension in the air. Looking up at Obi-Wan, they exchanged a small glance that told of him feeling the same thing as well. The situation seemed to be more complicated than they first realized. The conversation didn't resume until they came to a large study with a fireplace, around which four chairs were set. The study had wall to wall bookcases which already had Rahna's attention, with several busts set around the room, and a large wooden desk at one end. Near the fireplace one of the chairs was already occupied, and when the woman stood, they could see it was Queen Breha Organa.

"Your majesty." Obi-Wan offered a deep bow, and Rahna followed.

Breha offered a small bow in return. "Master Kenobi, thank you for coming, and this is..."

"My name is Rahna, I'm Master Kenobi's padawan."

"Well met Lady Rahna." Breha appeared younger than Bail, with coal black hair that was braided, and intertwined with silver cloth. Wrapped into a bun on the back of her head, a gray cloth flowed from the bottom over her shoulders, and deep brown eyes were set in a face that was pleasant, but also appeared to be troubled. Breha straightened her long silver dress before sitting. The others took seats after that as well.

"Forgive me for saying so your majesty, but I sensed a lot of... apprehension, when I entered the palace. The report I received from the Jedi Council indicated that Governor Tasid was a man of little influence?"

"On the surface yes. He wielded little political power, but had ties with many of the ancient houses here on Alderaan, and we suspect of number of criminal elements as well. Governor Tasid was also known to be an information broker. Now with his death many of the houses fear sensitive information may have fallen into the wrong hands."

Leaning back in the chair, Obi-Wan stroked his beard, "Has there been any violence yet?"

"No," Bail said. "But we fear the situation could erupt at any time. House Organa's military can maintain the peace if we must, but an internal conflict of this magnitude could be very damaging, for the people and our image throughout the galaxy."

"That's why we contacted the Jedi. We were hoping you could help defuse the situation before it gets to that point." Hands in her lap, Rahna listened to everything that was being said intently, but also paid attention to the Force, and what was around her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet it was. There wasn't a disturbance or any hint of the Darkside, but there was a tiny itch in the back of her mind. Rahna couldn't put her finger on where or why though.

"In light of what you've just told me, how exactly do you expect us to help?"

"We need you to recover something called the Codex," Breha said. "It's an artifact that Tasid used to store all of his most sensitive information on, and it disappeared after his death."

"Yes, if we could recover this, and destroy it in the presence of the other houses, they would no longer feel threatened by it."

"Can't your security forces find this Codex?" Rahna said.

"Possibly," Bail said, looking over at her. "But if it was delivered by one of our people, the other houses might suspect that we'd decoded and copied the information on the Codex before destroying it. You might also be interested in this." From within a pocket, Bail produced a small holoimager and leaned forward, activating it. "This is from a security recording inside Tasid's estate, you'll have to excuse the lack of audio, the device was damaged."

Rahna and Obi-Wan were all eyes for this. Tasid was leaning over a desk working with something that was producing a holographic image, and appeared to be heavily coded. Tasid's back was turned to the camera, and the device he was working with couldn't be seen. This went on for a while, before someone appeared on camera, but not by walking. They seemed to slowly unfurl from the ceiling, one hand raised out of camera range, then dropped to the floor. The individual was clad in a flowing black wrap around cape, with a hood that was drawn. It obscured their upper face, and the lower was covered by a solid black mask.

Without anyone having to say anything, Rahna had a bad feeling this was the assassin, but when Tasid saw them, he didn't panic. Instead the man started to point at them and say something. Even though only the back of his head could be seen, he pointed at the other figure and didn't appear to be happy. The assassin raised a hand from under the cape, palm up, and seemed to be talking as well. Tasid got increasingly angry about something as he stabbed a finger toward the floor, then the other pointed a finger at him in turn.

When he stood, Tasid was noticeably taller than the assassin, who appeared to have been around 5'6" at most, and stabbed the finger into their chest. At this the assassin looked down, without even moving the pointed finger, then opened their hand and a ripple erupted, hurling Tasid across the room and into a wall. The commotion also knocked the table over which annoyed Rahna, because it again blocked the view of the device he was working with. She suspected it was the Codex, but couldn't be sure.

When the assassin closed the distance to stand in front of Tasid, he seemed panicked and tried to draw a blaster. They in turn ejected a lightsaber from the sleeve of the black robe worn under the cape, and igniting the red blade mid-swing, cut his arm off at the elbow. Tasid started to scream only to have the blade come back and cleave through his neck. The motions weren't graceful or fluid, they were simple and effective. Sitting the chair up in front of the table, the assassin levitated the body into it, then picked Tasid's head up off the floor and placed it carefully in his lap. Before leaving the assassin stopped, looked directly into the camera, and held a hand up giving a small finger wave before departing.

"The Codex, they didn't take it. Well, I mean assuming that was what he was working with." Rahna said.

"It's the same conclusion we came to as well Lady Rahna, we believe it was taken by someone else after his death," Breha said.

"Could I have a copy of that?" Obi-Wan said, pointing at the imager.

"I thought you might want one." From the same pocket, Bail produced a memory crystal and handed it to him.

"Thank you Senator, Your Majesty. If you'll excuse us, we'll get to work immediately." Their departure was rather quick, and Rahna already knew Obi-Wan had something on his mind. The two walked out of the palace and back toward their starfighters before she finally spoke up.

"Are you contacting the Council?"

"Yes, I also need to access the archives to compare this image to the description given by Dooku. This may well be the first visual image we have of the assassin, and that concerns me."

"Why, isn't that a good thing? Now we at least have something to work with."

"According to the information in the case files I studied on the way here, the Lightsaber Assassin always avoided being captured in images. Now it's like they're almost daring us to come after them. If that's the case, it means that something's changed. Someone this careful wouldn't suddenly start to be this sloppy without a reason."


	6. Chapter IV

Both Qui-Gon and Argoth were out the door as quickly as everyone else to see what was going on. The explosions had come from bombers that were flying overhead, and it would seem that there would soon be a ground invasion as well. Heavily armored soldiers were marching through the valley in columns with ground transports on a ridge in the distance. They both approached the front of the town to get a better idea of the tactical situation. There were about two hundred Talran soldiers behind artificial barriers, four rows deep, and in front of them was a field filled with razor wire and trenches designed to slow the enemy's advance. All behind a shield barrier.

The armor of the Elltiri soldiers appeared capable of withstanding considerable punishment. They were equipped with tower shields that were a metal frame generating a portable energy barrier, heavy rifles mounted to the underside of their other forearm, and even had a bayonet for close range combat. This concerned Argoth because the Talran only had light blast armor that likely wouldn't hold up to a direct hit, and heavy carbines. To say the armament was a mismatch, was an understatement. The battle wasn't waiting for them either. As the bombers came around for another pass, the anti-air batteries began to fire, sending bright blue bolts of energy into the air. This was no longer a matter of preventing a war, it had already begun. Now it was up to Qui-Gon and Argoth to try to play damage control before there weren't any Talran left to defend.

"What do Master?"

"We protect the Talran, come." Argoth was still working on ideas for how to do something like that, when Qui-Gon revealed what he had in mind. Standing near one of the barriers close to the back, he reached out and concentrated. That was when Argoth saw one of the ground transports on the ridge slide forward. Realizing what Qui-Gon meant to do, he reached out as well and broke the axle restraints that normally kept a parked vehicle from moving. It turned toward them and was soon rumbling forward, picking up quite a bit of speed. Just as the soldiers, marching in four columns, passed the shield barrier, the transport plowed into them from behind. It dug deeply into their ranks, tossing aside the soldiers that weren't run down.

As soon as they were inside the shield, there was an exchange of thermal detonators on both sides. Qui-Gon pushed several of the Elltiri detonators back, causing them to explode within the ranks of the enemy, while Argoth crushed two in the hands of soldiers before they could throw them. The battlefield quickly erupted into a flurry of blaster fire, explosions, and the screams of dying soldiers, but that wasn't what Argoth was focused on. Even though he didn't have any visible ears, the padawan's hearing was quite acute. This was due, in part, to his ability to feel vibrations in the air and ground around him. For Argoth it was possible to both feel and hear, words and sounds.

With so much going on around him, it was hard to pinpoint the source of the vibration that seemed out of place. Drawing back from the front, he dropped down on all fours and began to move along the ground. Another aspect of his biology was the ability to move upright or on all fours. Placing his head on the ground several times, the vibrations were getting louder. Minister Kelim was monitoring the situation from afar and leaving command of the battle to the soldiers trained for such, so Argoth ran over to him and stood upright.

"Have machines ground?"

"What?"

"Do... 'ou 'ave machens... in ground?!"

One of the aides looked at Argoth for a moment and seemed to finally understand what he meant. "I think he wants to know if we have any machinery underground."

"No, what does that have to do with anything?" Kelim said.

"Machens in ground!" Argoth said, pointing at his feet. Kelim was a little slow on the uptake, then something seemed to dawn on him and the man nearly turned white.

"Great Creator! They're tunneling under the town, the bomb shelter's underground!"

"Where?!" Argoth said.

"There, under that building!" He pointed to one of the larger buildings in town, and Argoth took off running, feeling the underground vibrations getting stronger by the moment. Leaping through one of the windows into a warehouse, he spun around looking for the entrance and spotted a trapdoor a short distance away in a corner. He ran over and tried to pull it open, but the door had been barred from the inside. Fearing there wasn't enough time to explain anything, Argoth took out his lightsaber, and with a snap hiss, the blue blade sliced an X through it. No sooner had he dropped down, seeing dozens of scared people not sure how to react, the wall in front of Argoth exploded as an enormous drill broke through.

"Run, out!" As the people screamed and ran toward the stairs in a frightened mass, Argoth ran toward the machine, and threw both hands out. Calling upon the Force to the best of his ability, the padawan could only manage to slow the metal behemoth down, and even then, not by much. It bought enough time for the people to flee, and once they were out Argoth ran as well, but was still in danger even in the warehouse. The drilling machine came up through the floor nearly hitting him in the process, then slammed down and came to a stop. Over twenty feet long it was little more than a metal tube with a drill on one end and tracks on the sides.

When the hatch flew open, Argoth could see over a dozen Elltiri soldiers inside. Not sure he could defeat all of them, the padawan held his hand up, then brought it down and slammed the door shut, taking and arm and a leg with it. He then twisted his fist wrenching the hatch on the frame to make it harder to open again. As the soldiers on the inside began pounding on the hatch, he looked around for a means to defeat them, and was thoroughly surprised by what greeted him.

Behind him there were six men and four women in plain clothes, not a one under sixty, and some looked to be considerably older than that. What they had in common is they were all armed with blaster rifles and looking at the drilling machine. The one in the lead was bald, and had a long white beard.

"Form rank!" the bearded man said. They all formed a line, dropped to a knee, and aimed for the transport. That was when Argoth realized they were retired military. "On your command Master Jedi." The waited for a moment to make sure they were all prepared, then hold a hand out toward the hatch once again.

"Now!" With that command he pulled a hand back ripping the hatch loose, and the soldiers opened fire. As the Elltiri soldiers were cut down, Argoth clapped his hands together crushing the hatch, then hurled it through the opening into those that remained. In less than twenty seconds, there wasn't a single person left alive inside the drill. With the situation under control, the Talran soldiers stood up.

"I may be old, but I'll be dead and buried before I let Elltiri scum go running through my town." The bearded man said.

"Thank help, you protect." Argoth pointed in the direction the other people had run, and with a salute from the man, they moved out of the building to protect the rest of the civilians. Dropping down on all fours again, he ran out of the building and back toward the front lines of the battle. When Argoth got there, more Elltiri soldiers had been mowed down by another ground transport. By this point, most of the soldiers on both sides of the conflict were either dead or wounded, but Argoth didn't care about that. The soldiers seemed to pick up on the fact Qui-Gon was a Jedi, no doubt due to the green lightsaber, and all the padawan saw was his master taking shelter behind one of the barriers. Over a dozen Elltiri soldiers were trying to blast through it. The enemy ranks had thinned to less than one-hundred, and with a snarl, Argoth lunged forward with a burst of Force Speed, lightsaber in hand, and began to cut down the soldiers who had dared to attack his master.

"Argoth, wait!" Qui-Gon said. The words came too late as his lightsaber began to spin and twirl, cutting down enemy soldiers and deflecting blaster fire, and soon Qui-Gon was in the thick of it as well. Although Argoth could deflect blaster fire, he was still having trouble aiming where it went, and as a result had to put more effort into his offensive, as most bolts went wide of their mark. It wasn't long before Qui-Gon was almost right beside him, and the two were working as a team to take down the rest of the Elltiri soldiers. Even though they had only been master and apprentice for a short time, and their teamwork still needed training, they could sense one another through the Force and it was enough to prevent each from getting in the others way. What remained of the Elltiri ground troops were no match for two Jedi, and soon there were only bodies littering the battlefield.

With the battle at an end, they both stopped to take a breath and deactivated their lightsabers, though Argoth was fairly certain he would hear about it for this. Thinking over what had just happened, the young padawan realized his mistake and let out a small sigh. Unlike most people who would consider this a 'victory', he saw it as a defeat, for both sides. There were hundreds that lay dead, nearly as many wounded. The scolding would come later, right now there were people in need of help, both Talran and Elltiri. The Talran naturally dealt with their wounded first, and the two Jedi spent a good portion of the afternoon using the Force to heal the men on the field. There were too many to restore to full health, so as combat medics often did, they healed the wounded just enough to make sure they would reach a hospital for further treatment. By late afternoon they were both tired and hungry, and when the wounded were finally taken care of, they both slumped against one of the shield barriers to rest.

S"I'm sorry Master. I... let my emotions get the better of me. I shouldn't have attacked those soldiers the way I did."S

"No, you shouldn't have. It was foolish, irresponsible, and you could have gotten yourself killed. You must always be mindful of your surroundings, and those around you. When you attacked like that, it forced the Talran soldiers to stop firing." Then Qui-Gon reached over placing a hand on Argoth's shoulder. "But I'm glad that you're alright."

S"When I saw them shooting at you I got scared, and afraid."S

"I can take care of myself Argoth, besides," Qui-Gon leaned over and pulled a thermal detonator out of his robe. "I was trying to draw them in closer." Realizing that his master had a plan all along, Argoth gave a toothy grin, and made it a point to try and act less foolishly in the future. When they had time he would meditate on this, remember his mistakes, and make it a point not to repeat them. That was one of the most important lessons the Jedi taught at the temple. Even mistakes and failures were a chance to learn. Having rested for a few minutes, they both got up and Qui-Gon sought out Kelim to further discuss the situation, and found him helping some of the wounded soldiers.

"Master Jedi, I want to thank you for your help. Were it not for the both of you, I don't think we would have survived. What do you plan to do now?"

"We'll leave for the Elltiri border tonight, under the cover of darkness. I'll need all the information you have on security patrols, the general, and anything else that might help us move through Elltiri territory."

"I'll do what I can, but most of that information was destroyed along with the capitol."

"Is there somewhere we can rest?"

"Over there," Kelim said, pointing to a modest two story white building. They both gave a nod and departed, with Argoth thinking that right now he could really go for a meal and a nap. It would seem that Qui-Gon had the same idea as well. When they walked through the door, the scene wasn't quite what Argoth had pictured. It had a very rustic out in the country feel. There were wooden tables and chairs, and a bar against the wall opposite the door, set with a number of stools. There were Talran soldiers here as well, yet they were anything but rowdy. The mood was one of weariness as they drank quietly and seemed to be trying to unwind.

The proprietors of the establishment were an elderly couple, with the man behind the bar serving drinks, and the woman bringing the soldiers food. Qui-Gon took a seat at a table near the door, as did Argoth. His master seemed to be focusing on something, but what remained a mystery. Qui-Gon had been teaching him to live in the moment and pay attention to his surroundings, so he tried, but didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. The soldiers were tired and battle weary, but that was all. There was depression, anger, resentment, but these were all emotions one could expect to find after a confrontation between opposing armies.

S"Master, is something wrong?"S

"Can you feel it?"

S"All I feel are the soldiers and the people in the city."S Qui-gon reached out placing a hand on Argoth's shoulder, and helped focus his connection to the Force, then directed his mind out beyond the village. At first he couldn't feel anything unusual, just those around them, but as he focused, something stirred. Like a tiny stone thrown into a lake, it sent ripples through the Force, and a shiver down his spine. It was the Dark Side. There was a disturbance in the Force on Habel, but it was so small that even Qui-Gon was having trouble pinpointing anything, then it disappeared.

"We're not alone."

S"It came from the East, Elltiri territory."S Sensing the presence of the Dark Side made Argoth uneasy, and he shivered a second time. The first thing to go through his mind was that someone or something was manipulating the events on Habel, and possibly behind the conflict that had erupted seemingly without warning. It would explain the General's erratic behavior at the very least. They ordered a meal and ate in silence, and Argoth could tell that Qui-Gon was concerned, and now more hurried than he was before. This new factor in their mission had changed quite a few things. Rather than pressing the issue, he let it go, knowing that Qui-Gon would speak his mind when he was ready. After the meal they rented a room.

It was small, set with two single beds, and an assortment of furniture. When Qui-Gon sat on one of the beds and began to meditate, it was obvious what he meant to do. It was a technique the Jedi would sometimes use when they needed to rest, but were short on time, which the two of them were now. By meditating for an hour and calling upon the Light Side, then resting for three, they would wake up feeling as though they'd had a full night's sleep. This was only a stopgap measure however, and couldn't override the body's natural need for sleep for more than a few days. Argoth joined his master in meditating, but found it hard to do.

The padawan was having trouble focusing his mind, but not because of the Dark Side. He was unsettled for some reason, yet didn't understand why. Argoth was experiencing an unusual amount of tension that made it hard to relax, but after nearly twenty minutes, he was finally able to do so. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep after meditating either. Almost as soon as Argoth's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

It was dark when a gentle shaking motion on the shoulder woke him later that evening. With a grunt and a yawn, he sat up, seeing Qui-Gon's silhouette in the darkness before he turned a light on. The sudden flash caused Argoth to wince and look away until his eyes adjusted, and saw his master holding out an envelope. Curious as to what it was, he took it and checked the contents. It was what remaining intelligence reports Kelim had about the Elltiri government and military, and Qui-Gon had a copy as well. He read over the five sheets of paper inside, which contained a basic map of the Elltiri Republic's territory and cities. There was some fairly sketchy information on border patrol routes, and a list of names of Elltiri military commanders.

S"There's nothing here, you could practically get this information from a tourist terminal in a city."S

"There isn't much to go on, but it's all they had left." Argoth was starting to like this mission less and less as time went on. He folded the papers up and put them back in the envelope, then Qui-Gon handed off his copy, and with both in hand, Argoth ate them.

S"Master, do you think this war is being orchestrated for some reason?"S

"It's a possibility, we need to find the general, and the source of the disturbance. Come, we need to get moving." As they walked out of the room, he tried to mentally prepare himself for just about anything.


	7. Chapter V

It wasn't a very reassuring thought for Rahna when Obi-Wan used a coded uplink to search through the Jedi Archives. The description of the assassin in Dooku's account was almost a dead-on match, even down to their combat style. They both looked over everything silently, before Obi-Wan opened an uplink to the Council on Coruscant. The starfighter wasn't equipped for a full holographic conference, which only allowed Mace and Yoda to be shown, but she knew the others would be there. This was the part where the padawan was neither seen nor heard.

"We weren't expecting a report from Alderaan so soon," Mace said. "Has something happened?"

"No, not yet, but there is some information you need to be aware of. An image of the assassin was captured on a security recording, and I've compared it to the description given by Master Dooku in the archives. I believe we're dealing with the same person."

"The assassin was captured on a security recording, they're becoming careless," Ki Adi Mundi said.

"I don't think so, they knew they were being recorded, but this time they made no attempt to hide their activities. I don't have anything yet, but I believe there's more going on here than a simple assassination. The death of Governor Tasid has brought the noble houses on Alderaan to the brink of civil war. According to Queen Organa he was also a broker with sensitive information. They're afraid this information may have fallen into enemy hands."

"Stop this you can?" Yoda said.

"Possibly, the Queen has asked us to recover something called the Codex. Tasid used it to store the information he had, but it disappeared after his death. Rahna and I are about to start our investigation."

"Keep us informed of any new developments," Mace said.

"Of course." Instead of immediately taking off, Obi-Wan shut off the uplink and seemed to be contemplating their next move. The two were in a very dangerous and volatile situation that could erupt at any moment. All it would take was a single house to fire the first shot, then it would be a domino effect with the others following suit. They would have to be careful, so Rahna preferred to defer to Obi-Wan's decisions as he had more experience in these matters. Her master however, had other ideas.

"So, what's our next move?"

"Do what?" She looked up with a slightly puzzled expression.

"The question was simple enough, what do you think we should do next?" That put Rahna on the spot as she'd been waiting for Obi-Wan to decide that, and realized that was probably why. Now it was her turn to think the matter over, consider the various factors, and offer up an idea on their next move. There was a lot to think about as well, because they didn't have much to go on in terms of locating the Codex. Right now all they knew was that the assassin hadn't taken it, so they'd need to draw up a of list possible suspects. That meant they'd need information, but the question was, where to start.

"We'll need a list of suspects to investigate, but I doubt the noble houses will cooperate, so... planetary security?"

"Why planetary security?"

"They're under the jurisdiction of House Organa, so they'd be able to handle matters that deal with the noble houses?"

"Very good, shell we then?" Attempting to determine their next move wasn't the only thing that Rahna learned either. That Obi-Wan didn't need directions to the planetary security office located within the palace, was an indication that he'd been here before. As they walked through the pristine halls, Rahna was still trying to figure out who would take the Codex and why. It was obvious the information it contained would be valuable, but to what end. Was someone after money, did they want to blackmail one or more of the noble houses, there were too many angles to consider without more information.

The planetary security office was located under the palace, and it was quite a large complex as well. As they walked down the stairs, Rahna could see a metal room filled with monitors along the wall, control panels, and people wearing suits of white over silver, though they were of a different design than the soldiers who guarded the palace. Some were moving about, while others stood at the monitors with headsets, and seemed to be talking to security officers in the field. There were over two dozen people just in this one room, with others moving in and out of doors along the wall, it was quite a hive of activity. No one seemed to be overly bothered by their presence.

Near the back of the room was an office with large glass windows, and an older man sitting behind a large desk working at a computer. With gray hair and a portly build, it was easy to see he spent more time behind a desk than in the field. At their approach he looked up and motioned for them to enter the office. They both stepped inside and took a seat.

"Master Kenobi, it's good to see you again. I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"Chief Elcal, it's good to see you again as well. I'd like you to meet my new padawan Rahna."

The man looked over and his pudgy face pulled itself into a faint smile, "It's nice to meet you Rahna... say, what happened to that Twi'lek woman you were with last time, Anna was it?"

"Asja, she's no longer a padawan. She became a Jedi Knight not too long ago."

"Ah, always good to know there are more Jedi around, shall we then?" It was nice to hear that Chief Elcal seemed to be in favor of the Jedi, and Rahna watched quietly as he typed away at the computer. "Prince Organa told me that you would likely be arriving soon, so I got together some information that could help you with the investigation. When you leave I'll also send a dispatch to the officers in the field to give you full cooperation should you need it."

"Chief, do you have any suspects in regards to the theft of the Codex?" Rahna said.

"Only every person on the planet with a title and their closest associates," Elcal said, working at the computer. "Governor Tasid had few friends and a lot of enemies, though he usually kept them at bay with the threat of exposing secrets they'd rather not have others know about."

"What about other information brokers, I highly doubt he was the only one on Alderaan."

"Hardly. We've investigated them as well but made little progress in that regard. There also hasn't been a notable power shift among the criminal elements on the planet, or at least none we've seen. We've been trying to narrow down the list of suspects, but that's not easy in Tasid's case." When he was finished gathering the information, Chief Elcal handed a data crystal to Obi-Wan.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said.

"Good luck, hopefully that Force thing... whatever, will help you." On the way out of the office, Rahna had to stifle a small snicker in regards to the Force reference. While Obi-Wan used a palm sized holo-imager to review the information, they walked to the front gates of the palace and out through the courtyard. As one would imagine the palace was busy with beings of many races and dress styles going about their business. Just outside Obi-Wan flagged down a speeder transport, and as it slowed to a stop, a big grin came across her face.

"After what the chief said, I sure hope no one tries to cause trouble."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Rahna wheeled her arms around and pointed them at the speeder, garishly overacting the whole bit. "I'll use my Force thing whatever on them. Ha ha!"

With the holo-imager still held in one hand, Obi-Wan stood there looking at her, then pointed to the speeder. "Rahna... get in the speeder."

Soon the two of them where heading through the city toward the noble quarter, and Rahna was once again snapping images. The tall buildings of Aldera city gleamed in the mid-day sun, like giant sentinels watching the people below. The foot traffic was thick as well, and people moved along the streets, going about their business. The architecture of Aldera may not have been as grand as Coruscant, but to Rahna there was more beauty. There was barely an inch of ground in the republic's capitol that hadn't been built over, but here, a lot of the natural beauty remained. Rolling hills and high snow covered mountains could be seen in the distance, and Rahna thought of how nice it would be just to spend some time here.

The little site seeing trip came to an end as quickly as it had started, and they both stepped out, with Obi-Wan handing the driver some credit chits. Unlike the rest of the city, the noble quarter was sectioned off by a large wall with a single gate leading in, and quite the collection of guards on duty just outside. Beyond the gate Rahna could see businesses and other establishments that appeared very upscale, some didn't even have signs out front. She also knew better than to take any images inside. The well to do were very paranoid about things like that.

"Aldera City's Noble Quarter. You will never find a more wretched hive of decadence and debauchery, anywhere on the planet." While Rahna had never gotten the chance to rub elbows with upper crust society, she decided to take Obi-Wan at his word. The news transmissions on Coruscant did seem rather packed with descriptions of various scandals and other gossip about them, on a daily basis no less.

"Why are we going here of all places?"

"Because the noble families have estates scattered all over the planet. It would take days just to visit half. Most of them however, do maintain offices and penthouses here for conducting business in Aldera."

"The question now, is who stands to lose the most if the Codex were to fall into the wrong hands, Master?"

"From the information Chief Elcal gave me, that would be House Marcain. They've been investigated by planetary security more than any other noble house on Alderaan. Though from the lack of charges, I'd say they were very good at covering their tracks."

"So we visit them first?"

"Actually I was thinking of visiting House Nivian first." At this point, Rahna stopped offering up ideas do to not knowing much about Alderannian noble houses. As they moved through the streets of the noble quarter, they were drawing a lot of stares from people. The sight of a man and a young woman in simple robes was undoubtedly out of place, in a district where everyone looked well to do. They stopped at what appeared to be a large glass office building surrounded by a high wall and a lot of security. There were cameras, armed soldiers, and that was what could be seen. When they stopped at the front gate, Obi-Wan spoke with the guards on duty.

"Hello, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I would like to speak with someone from House Nivian if they're available." The two guards nearest the gate, dressed in heavy armor, looked at one another and then crossed their pikes. It was fairly obvious to see that was a no. They spent the next hour trying to make contact with four other houses only to be refused at every turn. No one would speak to them. Obi-Wan was walking casually when Rahna looked to one side without turning her head.

"Master, I think those three men across the street are following us."

"They are, along with the three behind us. Let's find out what they want, shall we?" When the two turned down a surprisingly clean alley, Obi-Wan stopped, waited, and before long they were surrounded on both sides by a motley crew, none of which looked very friendly. There were three Humans, a Wookie, a Duros, and a Twi'lek woman. Rahna turned so that her back was to Obi-Wan's, but neither drew their lightsaber... yet. One of the humans, a blonde haired woman, took a step forward to address Obi-Wan.

"Your kind aren't welcome around here Jedi, do yourself a favor and leave."

"I don't suppose we can talk about this in a civilized fashion?"

"Move that hand at me and I'll blow it off." Without even facing Obi-Wan, Rahna knew what he was trying to do, and the woman speaking seemed familiar with what people called the Jedi mind trick. "Now, last warning, leave or die."

Before either of them had time to respond, another group decided to join the conversation. Walking into the alleyway they drew weapons, but rather than blasters they were old fashioned slug throwers. When fired the sound they made was barely louder than someone snapping their fingers. The first group barely knew what was happening before they were gunned down, and Rahna was about to draw her lightsaber, when the second group put their weapons away.

"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padawan Rahna Demshar, Duke Tanaka would like to speak with you." She glanced back to see the man speaking. He was tall, well built with dark hair, a hard face, and dressed in a very nice suit, as were the others. There were six in total, all human, three on each side.

"And if we say no?" Rahna said.

"Then you're free to go, though I don't think the Duke would be very pleased."

"It's alright Rahna," Obi-Wan said, then looked to the man who had spoken. "After you."

They were led to a very expensive looking stretch vehicle, solid black in color with tented windows. They got in and Rahna took a seat, finding it strange that a vehicle had carpet like one would find in a home. The seats were covered in leather which made her uncomfortable. The idea of sitting on what used to be the skin of a living animal wasn't something Rahna liked very much, but remained silent on the matter. They were driven out of the noble quarter and Aldera City altogether. Not long afterward, the vehicle tilted upward and the landscape was replaced by what appeared to be the walls of a cargo transport. Then she both felt and heard the unmistakable sensation of engines firing, and they were airborne. Rahna was completely out of her element now, and not sure what to do, Obi-Wan on the other hand seemed fine.

The ride was silent and took close to an hour before they landed, and the transport's ramp lowered. When the vehicle drove out and turned, she finally got a good look at it. It appeared to be a large armored transport with several weapon turrets. On the side plain as day were the words 'Tanaka Security Solutions'. The look of the Tanaka estate was quite different than the city of Aldera. Instead of mountains there were sweeping fields of green grass, forests with trees that rose several stories into the air, but it was something in the distance that caught her attention.

"Master, is that at Killik hive?"

Obi-Wan leaned over to look out the window, "Hard to tell at this distance, but it looks like it."

"It's one of the three old hive mounds in the surrounding area." The man who spoke was the one to extend the Duke's invitation, and Rahna offered him a small smile in return. Unlike the palace, the Tanaka estate boasted money and didn't seem to care about showing it off in considerable excess. As they drove through the main gate, it was down what appeared to be a solid strip of the same silver/white marble from the palace, with a two story fountain made of solid silver as the centerpiece in front of the house. The subtlety of it was almost non-existent. Unlike many who had figures holding pots or animal statues, this one was of the Duke himself, holding an open wallet from which the water flowed.

There were verdant green hedges, a lawn dotted by a multitude of colored flowers. All dominated by a large white mansion, three stories high and in many ways, the size of a small palace itself. The front doors were large and covered by a small roof that was supported by four large stone pillars. Then the vehicle stopped at the bottom of the steps and they got out, their escorts remained inside. It left the two of them by themselves, and as they walked up the steps, the doors slowly opened to greet them. Rahna was nearly rubber necking to take everything in, and even Obi-Wan seemed at least interested in the design, and looked around as well. The inside of the mansion was as large as it appeared to be on the outside, and opened up into a single large room that was two stories tall. There was a gentle melody playing which Rahna could see was something from a piano that a Duros was seated at.

There was a grand staircase that wrapped around both sides of the room, leading up to the second floor, but the piano caught her attention, because the Duke was leaning on it with a hand, listening to the Duros play. In a three piece black suit and tie, his eyes were closed, and he was gently moving his other hand in time to the music. At their approach, he stood up, clasping both hands in front of himself. The man was tall and dressed in an expensive suit with short brown hair, and a very inquisitive look in his eyes.

"Duke Tanaka, it's an honor to meet you," Rahna said, offering a small bow.

"Rahna," Obi-Wan said, speaking in a whisper, he nodded and she followed it to see that there wasn't a ducal signet ring on his hand. This seemed to be a bit out of sorts as she had seen a picture of him in the hall on the way in, including a small name plaque beneath it. About that time they heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

"Padawan Damsher, it's a pleasure to meet you too."

Turning around Rahna blinked, seeing the same man she looked back, forward again, and could see the second man was wearing a signet ring. It took a moment to realize they were identical twins. The Duke seemed to sense her confusion and grinned, pointing to the other.

"That's my brother Ricar." Ricar walked around to stand by his brother, and offered both of them a small nod of the head. "Master Kenobi, thank you for meeting with me."

"I must say, I am a little surprised by this invitation. So far you're the only one who will even speak to us."

"That I don't doubt in the slightest. The rest of those stuffed shirt buffoons that prance around Alderaan are so scared right now they can't see straight. Not that you're helping in that regard, but more about that in a minute. I was just about to sit down for lunch, come, join me." Obi-Wan didn't offer any objection, but Rahna also noticed that depending on how one took it, the Duke hadn't made joining him a request. She was beginning to wonder if he would turn out to be an ally in this, an enemy, or land somewhere between.

As they walked to the dining room, Rahna noticed that the Duke was in front of them while his brother was bringing up the rear. When she tried to sense Ricar's state of mind it was hard to get a read on him, then felt his mind slam shut like a door. Upon looking over a shoulder, Ricar held up a finger and wagged it slowly. Turning back around she blinked a few times realizing the man wasn't only force sensitive, he seemed to have some level of control over his own mind.

'Be very careful.' The words that came from Obi-Wan weren't spoken, they were telepathic. Though unable to respond in kind, she looked at him for a moment. They were taken to a large dining hall with a long rectangular table. Made of wood and decorated with ornate scroll work, there were over two dozen chairs, but only four place settings near the front. The oddity however was the very front where Jopar sat. Instead of a single chair, there were two side by side. The brothers sat down next to each other, and a small group of servants came from a side room carrying covered trays.

The food was set down in front of them and uncovered, with silverware beside it, and they were both provided with glasses of water, while the Tanaka brothers both had red wine. The food was a small cooked piece of meat with a side salad, and a serving of something that looked like potatoes, covered with cheese and something that was small and green. It appeared to be a garnish of some sort. The meal smelled quite delicious, and Rahna waited for them to begin eating, then tried a piece of the steak, despite this being an odd, and somewhat heavy choice for a lunch. Cutting off a piece she tried it, and chewed a few times before stopping and looking up.

"Something wrong?" Jopar said.

"No, this is really good." Speaking out of the corner of her mouth, Rahna continued to chew.

"I'm glad you like it, I grow my own livestock to make sure it's the best."

"The food is quite delicious, though I am curious as to why you wanted to speak with us, and your comment about the Jedi making the situation worse," Obi-Wan said.

Jopar pointed at Obi-Wan with a steak knife while finishing what he was eating, then spoke. "The Jedi are making the situation worse, because the other houses were already worried about the Codex in the first place. Now that you're here, they have Republic concerns as well."

"What does the Republic have to do with this?" Rahna said. "Wouldn't matters between House Organa and the other nobles be considered an internal issue?"

"If they are internal matters, then yes. But what about the possibility of illicit dealings that go beyond the confines of Alderaan? Then it could very well be the Republic's jurisdiction. They would call the noble houses to account for their actions, and as subjects of House Organa, they'd be called to answer for those under their rule. I imagine it would be a PR nightmare, followed by fines, sanctions, and turn into a complete political fiasco. Then when the dust settled, the noble house in question would have House Organa coming down on them with a vengeance as well."

"But... we're not here to air anyone's dirty laundry. We're trying to help."

"Do they know that?"

"They might if anyone would talk to us. The Queen asked us to find the Codex as a neutral party, so that it could be destroyed, and this matter put to rest," Obi-Wan said.

"That's what I thought as well when I heard about your arrival. The Jedi would be about the only ones who could deliver this damned thing up and not cause more problems than they solved. Personally I want to see it destroyed, if for no other reason than all this tension and backstabbing is bad for business."

"You're not concerned about what's contained in the Codex?" Obi-Wan said.

"What, you mean House Tanaka's dirty laundry? Sure, we've got some, everyone does, but even if it was aired it wouldn't be house shaking. Really more embarrassing than anything else." Something that Rahna took notice of while Obi-Wan and the Duke were talking, were the interactions between the brothers. They were odd to say the least. At one point while eating, Jopar took a bite of the potatoes only to seemingly dislike the taste. Ricar took a spice shaker and seasoned them which solved the problem, but there was nothing said between them. Then later on when a servant came to refill their drinks, Jopar motioned for Ricar's glass not to be filled, and there didn't appear to be any objection to that. The whole time Ricar never spoke a word, leaving that to his brother, but was hardly ignoring either of them. He watched Obi-Wan and Rahna intently, which made her wonder what he was up to.

After the meal ended, Obi-Wan walked with the Duke and continued to talk, leaving Rahna and Ricar alone. The Duke's brother seemed to occupy himself by looking at a piece of artwork in the hallway, though she doubted that he was very interested in it. While doing so he also twisted a pair of metal balls in his right hand, in a seemingly absentminded fashion. With her own curiosity peaked, she walked up next to him.

"Do you actually talk?"

"When I have something to say. Unlike my brother, I have little use for pointless banter." While the two may have been identical in appearance, they certainly weren't identical in attitude or disposition. Ricar looked at her in silence once again, but rather than feeling nervous, Rahna tilted her head to one side. There was a question eating at her, and as the Duke seemed to be about as subtle as a sledgehammer, she decided to take an approach he was likely accustomed to.

"How well can you control the Force?"

"Not as well as a Jedi if that's what you're wondering."

"No, what I'm wondering is how you even learned to do it in the first place."

"Jedi, Sith, the Potentium, the Nightsisters of Dathomir, the Voss Mystics. There have been many force orders over the millennia, and they have acquired vast knowledge. Some of that knowledge has also been lost, and rediscovered by others. When you have the resources and influence that we do, some can be convinced to part with it, for a price."

"To what end?"

"Does there need to be one? The Force is a mystery no one truly understands, yet if you had the ability to reach out and touch it, would you not be curious?" Now Rahna was beginning to understand him a little more. The man was a force sensitive who had never been part of any organization devoted to such. From what she could sense he was fairly strong in this regard as well. He stopped twisting the metal balls around, and held them in his palm. As Rahna watched, one of them moved gently, then lifted up into the air, barely moving a quarter of an inch before dropping back down.

"While curiosity isn't a bad thing, you should be careful Lord Tanaka. Not all mysteries of the Force should be explored."

Closing the hand, he turned it over showing the back almost completely covered by a scar she hadn't noticed before. "A lesson I know all too well good padawan."

"If I'm not being too... personal, is the Duke force sensitive?"

"Yes, though he has little interest in such esoteric pursuits. Good luck, I have a feeling you're going to need it." The conversation ended when Obi-Wan walked up next to her, and they made their way out of the mansion. Walking down the steps, she could sense that Obi-Wan was deep in thought again.

"What did the Duke say?"

"He's adamant about wanting the Codex destroyed to restore the stability of the noble houses, but that's not all. If what he said was true, there's more to this artifact than just information."


	8. Chapter VI

It was dark, and the only light to see by were the stars outside. The Talran transport had cut their lights more than an hour ago to avoid being seen, and now they were five miles from the Elltiri border as Qui-Gon and Argoth stepped off. The moment the five foot padawan stepped out, he wondered why the conflict had to happen so far north. Habel had some cold nights and tonight was no exception, his breath came out in little puffs of white mist. The discomfort wouldn't last long, as the Talran soldiers had warned them of the temperature and before departing, they were given knee length jackets. They provided good protection against the elements.

The landscape had also changed, and Argoth could see why the Elltiri Republic wasn't prime farming land. Unlike the rolling hills and valleys the Talran lived in, here it was as if some great invisible fist had smashed itself against the ground. Ahead of them was an expanse of steep hills and jutting cliffs, and though not desolate, it wasn't nearly as inviting a scene. Qui-Gon took a small electro-compass from his travel pack, and calibrated it to the planet's poles. Having memorized the map before Argoth ate them, the soldiers told them there was an Elltiri town called Rimost, due East of where they would be dropped off. It was nearly a day's walk on foot, and from there the capitol was 300 miles south, south east.

They walked in silence and Argoth looked up at the stars, recognizing some of them by the constellations, and thinking to himself how he'd been there, and there, and even over there. The one thing he liked about being a Jedi was the chance to see the galaxy, as most people spent the better part of their lives on one planet. Were it not for the war, it would have been a nice night. What little bit of information they did have said that patrols along the border were fairly regular, so they would have to be on guard. Things were calm at the moment, and Argoth didn't sense anyone nearby as they walked. The only thing out at this time of night were mostly small animals, that gave them a wide berth as they passed by.

Argoth tried to think of how they would deal with the situation once they reached the general, and he had no doubt that Qui-Gon would find a way. It didn't seem likely a diplomatic solution would win the day, nor would mental manipulation. Argoth had noted that people in positions of considerable authority often had the willpower to resist such persuasion. While thinking the matter over, his attention was drawn about the same time as Qui-Gon. There was an Elltiri foot patrol approaching their position. They both quickly ducked behind an outcropping of rocks, waiting for them to pass by. As they approached, Argoth could see there were six in total, heavily armed but only armored in a black body suit with light protective plating.

The soldiers were a few dozen yards away, and talking amongst themselves as they walked. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary, then something on one soldier's hip beeped. He took a small hand device and looked at it. Lowering a pair of goggles, he looked in their direction, then shouldered his rifle and walked toward them.

"Got two hits on thermal. Come out where I can see you with your hands in the air!" That drew a small growl from Argoth as he hadn't counted on Elltiri border patrols using thermal goggles. The other soldiers followed suit and soon five of the six rifles were pointed at them. The soldier in the back was facing away from them and keeping watch. Qui-Gon and Argoth both stood up, causing the soldier in the lead to stop suddenly.

"Holy crap, it's those Jedi we heard about!"

"We're not the Jedi you heard about," Qui-Gon said, casually waving a hand in front of himself. There was a long moment of silence, and the soldier in the lead lowered his weapon slightly.

"If you're not Jedi, what are you doing out here this late at night?"

"We volunteered to transport supplies to the soldiers at the front, and our speeder broke down a few miles back. We hid because we weren't sure who you were. There haven't been any Talran attacks in the area have there?"

"Yeah there was. Earlier this morning some guerrillas hit a medical supply transport near the front," the soldier nodded his head south. "Heard the 112th took some heavy casualties, and those lousy Talran made off with supplies meant for our troops."

"Do you know what I like about nights like this?" Qui-gon said, looking up at the sky. "The chance to sleep out under the stars, wouldn't you agree?"

"It is a nice night, I think I'll just... take a nap." The soldiers all yawned, stretched, and laid down on the ground, falling sound asleep. About to leave, Argoth noticed his master walk over and begin stripping down one of the soldiers.

S"What are you doing?"S

"It'll be easier to move through Elltiri territory if we look like them. Anyone asks, we're part of the 112th, we got separated after the battle and lost our way." The tactic made sense, but it wasn't one he'd expected from Qui-Gon, and following suit he stripped one of the soldiers to change outfits. Even after taking the outfit from the smallest one there, it was still too large for Argoth and sagged in places. He was just glad they weren't wearing helmets, with his horns and head crest it would have been impossible to fit into. Aside from being too small for the outfit, Argoth also had to tear a hole in the back for his tail, which was long and slender, but made of flesh and bones rather than hair. His robes were free flowing enough that he normally just kept it underneath them.

The armor plating was dark gray and covered their chest, waist, forearms, and shins. They also had backpacks which were dumped out and used to carry the robes and jackets. The last thing they did was pick up the blaster rifles. Hefting the weapon, Argoth didn't much like the idea of using one. Like most Jedi he considered the weapons crude and uncivilized. Never the less he did know how to use one. All Jedi were given basic marksmanship training with blasters, that way if it was the only weapon available, they would be able to defend themselves. Argoth also stopped to look at the both of them, and snickered at the way they were dressed up. Qui-Gon in turn smiled and gave him a little shrug.

Now posing as a pair of lost Elltiri soldiers, they continued the trip toward Rimost, and for most of the night it was uneventful. They encountered two more patrols during the night, but both were far enough away to avoid being detected. It was close to dawn and the horizon was growing lighter when their third encounter became unavoidable. It was in the form of a winged transport that flew overhead, then slowed and began to circle back around. It landed some distance ahead of them and the side of the transport slid open. From within a young woman with dark hair got out, waved and arm overhead, and started to walk toward them. The encounter seemed to be starting out friendly enough, and the two exchanged a small glance before approaching her. As she got closer the woman grinned.

"What are a couple of low rank Tegs doing walking around out here?" Argoth glanced at his shoulder armor which bore a single vertical white strip with a small sphere on the left side, and made a mental note he was ranked as a Teg.

"We're part of the 112th, got hit by some Talran guerrillas and separated from the rest of our unit."

"What'd they do, strip you guys too? Where's your comlink and the rest of your gear?"

"On stolen transport..." Argoth said.

The woman arched a brow and gave both of them an annoyed look, then reached out tapping the rank insignia on Qui-Gon's shoulder. "And amateurish mistakes like that, are why you two are still Tegs." Walking away she waved for them to follow. "Come on, we're headed to Rimost for redeployment. You can catch a transport there to wherever the 112th regrouped."

Seeing no other alternative, and not opposed to shortening their trip to Rimost, they got into the transport. There wasn't much room inside with the other six soldiers, two human men, three women, and a Wookie. Argoth arched a brow considering it odd to see a Wookie in a uniform. The pilot in the front reached up flicking some switches, and soon they were airborne. The soldiers had a variety of different rank insignia, none of which were Tegs, and had the look of battle hardened veterans. The Wookie even had an artificial eye, and was staring at Argoth.

S"What? I got something on my face?"S Argoth said.

S"What are you? Never seen anything like you before."S The question put Argoth on the spot because he didn't know the name of his race. Up to this point he had simply been Argoth. It would seem that Qui-Gon was able to sense his unease, and once again came to the rescue.

"He's Ratakan, his people aren't from this sector." The Wookie thought about it for a moment, but didn't say anything, no doubt unsure what a Ratakan was. Thinking back to his history lessons at the temple regarding the ancient Infinite Empire, Argoth had to resist the urge to smile, thinking that was a pretty slick response.

S"Ain't you a little small to be in the army?S

S"Small?! I'll show you small fur ball!"S Both leaned forward, growling, only to have the dark haired woman hold an arm out between them.

"Alright children, let's take it down a notch. The enemy's out there, not in here." They let the matter drop with a few more grunts and snarls. The reaction Argoth had to being called small was a complete act, as he knew a soldier would take something like that as an insult. Having grown up around Yoda who was even shorter than he was, and having some idea of how powerful the Jedi Grand Master was, only being five foot tall didn't bother him.

"And what about this guy, ain't he a little old to be a Teg?" The man speaking was bald and had a hard, weathered face, and looking at Qui-Gon.

"Not really," a red haired woman said. "Probably from Gimnel, you know how they are. They'll draft anyone to meet the levy demands."

"Gimnel huh?" The bald man looked at Qui-Gon who said nothing, and it was hard to tell what the soldier was thinking. "Looks old enough to have been around for Telbrook."

"I was a combat medic at Telbrook, fresh out of training," Qui-Gon said. Hearing this Argoth knew what he was doing. His Master was sensing their emotions, the unease the mention of the name Telbrook caused, and throwing in a bit of acting.

"Good Gods, you were at Telbrook? Heard stories about that place, it was just..." The bald man shook his head, letting the sentance trail off.

The black haired woman looked at Qui-Gon quietly before speaking. "You did your minimum and mustered out didn't you?"

"Wouldn't you?" Qui-Gon said. For the rest of the trip the soldiers mostly talked about old war stories and the current conflict, but nothing that was particularly useful. From the way they acted, and addressed each other informally, Argoth could tell they'd been together through more than a few battles. When Rimost came into view, it was quite different than the rural Talran setting they'd left. This was a small metropolitan city with tall buildings, paved roads, and quite a bit of air traffic. What Argoth found curious was the mix of wheeled vehicles on the ground. They were rare, and as advanced as the Elltiri were, it seemed out of place. There was no doubt a reason, but it was irrelevant to the mission at hand, so that line of thought was dismissed. The transport landed at a small airfield next to a military base on the edge of town and everyone got out, then it took off again, only to fly a short distance and land behind what looked like an administration building.

"Where he going?" Argoth said, thumbing over his shoulder.

"The outbound flight field?" the woman said.

"Oh, duh." Smacking himself in the head, Argoth and Qui-Gon walked toward the administration building knowing that's where they'd be expected to go. At this point he was looking around for a place they could sneak off the base and continue with their mission, which was still 300 miles away. The base was walled off with a security checkpoint by the gate. They were stopped and asked for identification, and with another wave of his hand, Qui-Gon convinced them they didn't need to see any.

There were vehicles coming and going, along with transports, all while soldiers tended to their various duties. To the left was a field where some men appeared to be drilling new recruits and running them through an obstacle course. To the right were more buildings too low to see from beyond the wall. Most of them were mechanic bays with a number of tanks that were being worked on, but one had a sign 'Mess Hall' over the door. It reminded Argoth of the fact he was hungry, but stopping for a meal was out of the question. He knew what Qui-Gon was doing, his master was using the, blend in and disappear, method to enter the city.

As they walked into the administration building, Argoth quickly discovered it was in fact a hospital. He winced, shaking his head, trying to push back all of the pain and suffering he felt through the Force. There was so many wounded soldiers here that it was hard to simply ignore. As they walked down the hall toward the exit at the other end, he passed by one of the wards, and overheard one of the soldiers asking a nurse to contact his family if he didn't survive. Other people were moaning, and one person was even wheeled down the hall covered by a white sheet. What Argoth was feeling was so intense, that he had to stop and concentrate to block it out of his mind.

Even though he'd harbored resentment toward the Elltiri for attacking them upon their arrival, he simply couldn't turn a blind eye to something like this. The people in the hospital weren't evil, they were men and women just like anyone else, suffering because of the war. There was so much fear, pain, and anguish, but that wasn't the worst part. All Argoth had to do was reach out with a hand and he could have taken their pain from them, but to do so would have revealed who they were. He didn't know which was worse, being unable to help someone, or having the strength to help them, only to be forced to keep walking and let them suffer. By the time they reached the exit on the other side, Argoth had to steady himself with a hand against the wall, and covered his eyes with a hand to try and hide his tears. Qui-Gon reached out putting a hand on his shoulder, but didn't say anything.

S"They were right there, all I had to do was reach out and touch them, but I couldn't."S

"I know, I wanted to help them too."

S"How do you deal with something that hurts this much?"S

"By putting it out of your mind, and focusing on the mission. If we end this war, no one else will have to suffer like they are." The word spoken by Qui-Gon helped him realize that. If they were able to stop the war, it would end the bloodshed as well. Focusing on that he tried to push the feelings aside, but they were so powerful it was difficult. Taking a deep breath, Argoth stood up and began to repeat the Jedi Code in his mind over and over.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

Using the slow breathing techniques taught for meditation, peace once again overtook emotion. If they ended the war it would help the soldiers in the hospital. It may not have been as directly as he would have liked, but it would help them. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Argoth looked up at Qui-Gon and gave a solemn nod.


	9. Chapter VII

Duke Tanaka was kind enough to provide them with transport to their next destination, Governor Tasid's estate. It was obvious that the noble houses wouldn't be providing any help, they were too busy trying to cover their own butts. There was some good news however. Obi-Wan had told her on the way to the shuttle they were in, that the Duke would put out word they wanted to destroy the codex as well. With as many agents as the various houses had out and about, it likely wouldn't take long to spread. It was no guarantee they wouldn't run into more hostilities along the way, but it could still work in their favor.

"What did the Duke tell you about the Codex that might involve more than information?" Rahna said.

Obi-Wan was stroking his beard again, looking over at Rahna when she spoke. "He told me about Governor Tasid. According to Duke Tanaka he was a fairly mundane governor once. He did his job, kept the wheels of government turning, but was otherwise unremarkable."

"So what happened?"

"He also had a penchant for funding archaeological digs into the old hives. It was a personal diversion unrelated to his work, and had managed to build a nice collection of Killik relics for himself. The way the story goes, about three years ago he was at one of the digs, which is where he supposedly discovered the Codex. He quickly took possession of it, wouldn't allow anyone else to see it, and disappeared into his mansion for some time after that."

"Yeah... I'm not liking the sound of this. I take it there's more?"

"Yes, after that his personality started to change as well. He became paranoid, greedy, ambitious, and was heard more than once saying, knowledge is power."

"Great, now it's a Killik relic that makes people go nuts."

"Think about it Rahna." Doing that, Rahna thought about it for a time, trying to formulate an idea about where this was going. After a bit of deliberation she shook her head.

"Nope, I'm coming up empty. Where were you going with this?"

"I think there was already something on the Codex when Tasid found it. Whatever it was, it had a profound affect on his mind." That was a possibility that Rahna hadn't considered before. Had Tasid found something hidden within the Codex that had had such a profound affect on his mind that it turned him from a mild-mannered governor, into a power hungry information broker willing to seek knowledge at any cost. The conversation would have to wait as the transport landed just outside the front gates of Tasid's estate.

As they exited, Rahna started to wonder just how much provincial governors got paid on Alderaan. It may not of displayed the wealth of the Duke's estate, but his home was nearly the same size. The mansion appeared to be quite old, but well maintained, with three stories and large floor to ceiling windows, and gray walls. The lawn, having not been mowed in almost a week, was starting to overgrow, and the hedges lining the road leading through the front gate could do with a trim, but otherwise it looked quite nice. There were four planetary security officers outside the front gate standing watch, but only offered a polite nod as they approached.

"Do provincial governors normally live in estates this large?" Rahna said, asking one of the officers out front.

"No, they don't. That's part of the reason House Organa launched an investigation against Governor Tasid in the first place. He was living well beyond his means." She nodded a little, baring that in mind, then caught up to Obi-Wan who was walking toward the front door. They stood open and from the outside she could see a few more officers moving about in the foyer. The inside of the house was spacious, well lit, and arrayed with fine furniture, paintings, and lush carpet that was no doubt quite expensive. Once they were inside, one of the security officers took notice and motioned to another. He disappeared down a hall and returned a short time later with an older man. With black hair that was mostly gray, slicked back, and a neatly trimmed mustache, he had a very professional appearance.

"Master Kenobi, I'm Chief Investigator Thrad. Her majesty conveyed to us that we are to extend you full cooperation in this case. What can I do for you?"

"Investigator Thrad," Obi-Wan said, giving a small nod of the head. "I'd like to see the crime scene if I could." The man held out an arm in the direction of one of the halls, and they moved further into the mansion. As they did, Rahna was able to sense something unusual from Thrad. He was suspicious, almost to the point of being distrustful. Inside the study where Tasid had been killed, the first thing Rahna did was approach the table that had been knocked over. She knew the chances of the Codex being there were almost non-existent, but had to see for herself.

The only thing behind the table were piles of books and papers. There were several bookshelves in the room filled with considerable collections, but not much else. Above them was a skylight which told Rahna how the assassin had gotten in. She also didn't feel the presence of the Dark Side, but given the length of time since the murder, any lingering traces would have already dissipated. While looking around and finding little that would help in the way of clues, the body having since been removed, the feelings she sensed from Thrad were beginning to get annoying. Rahna finally spun on a heel to face him.

"Investigator Thrad, do you not like Jedi for some reason?"

"Excuse me?" Thrad said, looking over at her from the door frame he was leaning against.

"I just get this... vibe, that you don't like us."

"Quite intuitive, but it's not dislike, it's suspicion." She was surprised by how readily he admitted to something like that, but had a good idea why.

"Let me guess, it's because the assassin used a lightsaber and had knowledge of the Force?"

"Spot on young lady."

"I can assure you they were not Jedi. Contrary to popular belief, we aren't the only order of Force users in the universe, nor are we the only ones who know how to build lightsabers. Besides, if it were a member of the Order, we'd know."

"Really now?"

"Yes, really," Obi-Wan said, browsing through the books and papers behind the table. "You can learn a lot about a person through the Force. If it was a member of the Order committing these crimes, they wouldn't be able to hide it from us for very long. That, and the Jedi don't use red lightsabers." Strolling around the room after that, Rahna began to look over the books on the shelves, noting that a lot of them were about Alderaanian history. There were others related to the Killik and archaeology, and quite a few other subjects. That aside, she was also looking for hidden switches, or anything else that might be out of the ordinary.

"I can assure you we checked every book and every inch of the shelves, there are no hidden switches," Thrad said.

"Are you coming?"

She turned to see Obi-Wan standing by the door. "In a moment, just want to look over the room a bit more."

When Obi-Wan and Thrad walked out, she quickly snatched one of the books off the shelf. The title was 'Nightsister Magic'. It was a copy of the same book that she'd seen in the archive's restricted section at the temple. Quickly looking left and right to make sure she was alone, Rahna leaned against the bookcase and started to thumb through it. The material was restricted, and Rahna knew her mastery of the Force wasn't nearly enough to attempt anything contained within, but she was still curious. There was also the fact the Nightsisters drew upon the dark side of the Force, something she found to be repulsive.

More than anything she found the commentaries in the book to be quite interesting, including their opinions on the use and application of the Dark Side. From Rahna's point of view, the Nightsisters had a very warped outlook on both life, and the Force itself. Stuffing it into a pocket on the inside of her robe for later reading, she was about to leave when the title on the spine of another book caught her attention. It read 'Tasid's Guide to Easy Living.'

Naturally curious what someone like Tasid would consider easy living, she took the book and started to flip through it. Skimming over the pages it was written quite well, and discussed a number of ways to make money quickly, easily, and legally. There was also a section about money management, tips on playing the galactic stock exchange and more. Rahna chuckled to herself, thinking it sounded like one of those get rich quick guides that seemingly everyone in the galaxy had. They usually worked too, the person selling the book got rich at the expense of others. That part she didn't consider funny.

Flipping another page, something caught Rahna's attention. It was so subtle at first she almost missed it. Enough so that Rahna had to hold the page and move it back and forth a few times to find the something. There was a single letter on the page that had been gone over in ink. At a glance you wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It was only at an angle when the light reflected off the letter, that she could see a slight discoloration.

At first Rahna thought it was a trick of the light, but on a hunch she held the next page up, moving it about, finding another letter out of sorts, then another, and another, and another. They weren't just letters, it turned out to be two words. Putting them together in her mind, Rahna rolled her eyes, thinking this was definitely Tasid's doing.

"Leave it up to a crazy governor to single out the words 'unlimited power' in a book." The moment she spoke the words 'unlimited power', the bookcase she was leaning on flipped around, she hit the floor, and went tumbling down a set of stairs. Coming to a stop at the bottom in a heap of robes, she let out a small groan, sat up, and tried to collect her thoughts. The whole ordeal was quite disorienting and left her with a headache. After the former subsided, the latter was dealt with by Rahna placing her hands on her temples and focusing on the Force. Once the pain was gone, she opened her eyes. The stairs led down into a dimly lit hallway cut from the stone foundation the mansion sat on.

"Great investigation skills... Thrad." Taking the book, she walked back up the stairs to the back of the bookcase and looked around for any sort of switch to open it, but found none. She tried pushing on the bookcase and got nowhere, then spent the next few minutes looking for any sort of pressure switch, but once again came up empty. Walking half way down the steps, she looked up at the back of the bookcase.

"Fine, tried to do this the nice way." Extending a hand she sent out a powerful force push. As it hit the back of the bookcase, a large red rune glowed briefly, and the force energy dissipated. "Uh... what?"

Rahna tried another force push and the rune glowed a second time, negating that one as well. Starting to get annoyed by this, she took her lightsaber, ignited the blade, and drove it into the back of the bookcase. The blade diffused across the surface of the metal in long blue veins of crackling energy, and drawing it back, there was no apparent damage. Placing her hand over the same area, it was barely warm. Now Rahna was starting to get worried. She'd heard about materials that could diffuse a lightsaber blade, but they were usually rare and extremely difficult to come by. As a last resort, she took out her comlink and pressed the button on the side, only to see a small red light appear indicating it couldn't get a signal.

"Funny, this is starting to feel a lot less like a secret passage, and more like a trap." Without a way to go back, the only option left was to move forward. Walking down the stairs and further into the slowly darkening tunnel, Rahna used all of her senses, including the Force, to stay alert. She didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but it was getting too dark to see. With a bit of a sigh she took out her lightsaber as the hallway opened into a room.

"Defender of the weak, protector of the innocent, and part time flashlight." With a snap/hiss the blue blade came to life, and that was when she saw something out of the corner of one eye. Turning to see what it was, Rahna came face to face with the gaping maw of a Rancor. Nearly force jumping away she held the lightsaber, waiting for it to attack. Her heart was racing, blood was pumping, and she could nearly hear the pounding of her own heart. Standing there she waited, and waited, but it didn't move. Carefully inching closer, she was finally able to see that the head was just that, a head, mounted on a wall plaque.

"What is wrong with this guy? Who keeps a Rancor head mounted on their wall, geez!" Still breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush, Rahna's hands were shaking as she continued into the darkness of the room. It was so silent the only thing to be heard was the sound of her own footsteps, and each breath as it was exhaled. Rahna looked around, unable to see anything beyond the dim light coming from the blade of her lightsaber, and also found herself having other problems as well. The Jedi were always taught to control their emotions, and be at peace, but right now she was scared.

When a spray of colored lights appeared in front of Rahna, she jumped back, swinging the lightsaber around wildly a few times, before realizing it was a hologram. The light took shape, and there in front of her was the image of Governor Tasid. It was the first time she'd seen his face, and he was quite attractive on the surface. He had a strong chin, square jaw, and a slender nose, all set below a pair of jade green eyes. Yet there was a look in them, and the way his lips curled back into a smile, that spoke of an inner darkness that ran far deeper than some might realize.

"I have to congratulate you, whoever you are. There aren't many who would be able to find this place. Welcome to my own little secret repository of knowledge," Tasid said. Having been leaning forward ever so slightly, the image stood up, and seem to be looking down on her. It was from both the height difference, and the look of contempt on his face. "I'm sure you're wondering to yourself, if this place is so secret, why did I leave a means for someone to find their way down here. It's quite simple really, to deal with nosy little busybodies that are too smart for their own good. I would say enjoy what you find down here, but you won't live that long. As I figured it would most likely be one of you blasted Jedi that found your way down here, you might have noticed that I've discovered ways of dealing with you too."

When the image faded, three bright overhead lights came on. The room Rahna was in was completely empty, and hearing the sound of something slamming, she turned around to see a door behind her with the same force resistant material. When Rahna heard the same sound behind her again, she let out a sigh.

"Cue the killer walls?" When the walls began to slowly close in, she looked from side to side. "Could you possibly be more cliché if you tried?" Both doors were covered in metal, and the walls were closing in which left Rahna with few options. Rather than panic, she kept calm and thought about the situation. In order for the walls to be moving like this, they had to had been cut from stone, meaning they were thinner than the walls of the passage. Walking over to one she drove the lightsaber into it, listening to the blade hiss and spit in response. The rock began to turn a bright orange and a bit of it even ran down the wall. It took several seconds for the resistance from the blade to stop.

When she pulled it out, it proved to be a dead end. The lightsaber had burned through, but it had taken much longer than she thought. The wall was too thick to burn a hole through in time to stop it. By her own estimations, Rahna had less than thirty seconds to go before being turned into a human pancake. Walking back to the middle of the room she looked from side to side again, trying to think to herself about what Obi-Wan would do in a situation like this. He would tell her to look beyond the obvious, beyond what she could see, hear, or even feel. As that last word went through her mind, Rahna did feel something, physically.

It brushed through the tiny hairs on the back of her hand, and Rahna turned around, furrowing her brows. Moving the fingers on her other hand, she felt it again, a tiny little breeze. That was when she saw the source. It was coming from the divide between the door and the wall, and perhaps it was just enough... Reaching out through the Force, Rahna pushed it through and around the door, ignoring the walls as they grew even closer. That was when she found her opening. It wasn't between the door and the wall, but the metal itself. It had separated just enough for the Force to push between them.

At this point Rahna didn't even bother worrying if she would be able to pry it loose. This was literally a do or die situation, and pulling her arm back in a single powerful gesture, the metal wrenched and screamed as it was torn loose. Drawing her hand back a second time, Rahna struck the stone door with as powerful a force push as she could, over and over again, causing it to crack and finally shatter. Seeing the hallway beyond she nearly dove into it. Unlike action holo-vids the walls didn't slam closed the second she was out, but it wasn't much later. Propped up on her hands, Rahna let out a deep breath and laid back on the floor.

"I think I'll just rest here for a minute... and have a heart attack, no biggie." After taking a few minutes to collect herself, Rahna stood up and continued down the hall. It wasn't long before it opened up into another large room, and she could see a table by itself, with a single book sitting in the middle of it. Instead of simply walking inside, she poked her head through the doorway and looked around, not seeing anything else. "This is so a trap, and it totally wants to kill me."

The room was fifty foot squared and twenty feet high. Once again with forward being the only direction to go, Rahna stepped through the door, and three steps later it slammed shut behind her. She immediately spun around, lightsaber in hand, but didn't ignite it seeing nothing to threaten her. Rahna carefully looked around only to see she was alone. Approaching the table, the first thing she did was look at it and the book from every angle possible to see if there were any wires or triggers, but couldn't see anything, it was just the book and the table. The last thing she wanted to do was open the book, because she knew that was the whole point.

Taking a deep breath, she reached out and opened the cover. The pages of the book had been cut out to fit a small electronic device with a photosensitive panel on it. As soon as it was exposed to light, there was a tiny click and a red light started to blink. Above it on the page were five words written in ink, 'You're going to love this.'

"I seriously doubt that." Behind her a panel in the wall slid open and the Dark Side energy hit Rahna so hard it made her skin crawl. Diving over the table she rolled, turned, and came up in a kneeling position to see what awaited her, then looked up...

"Mother f..."


	10. Chapter VIII

Once Qui-Gon and Argoth were out of the military base, they found a nice secluded alley. There they changed back into their robes and tossed the military uniforms into a large waste bin. Argoth appreciated the chance to get out of the over sized uniform and back into his robes. He also felt less vulnerable with the lightsaber by his side again, rather than in a backpack. The city itself was quite busy, with vehicles and people moving about. It was close to mid-day by now and the daily life of the Elltiri people seemed to be in full swing. Brightly colored signs offered a variety of goods and services, shop windows were being browsed by curious people, and from here it didn't seem like there was a war going on. Qui-gon was standing at the end of the alley by now, looking around, and Argoth was almost beside him, when the older Jedi quickly flattened himself and his padawan against the wall.

S"What's wrong?"S

"Look, up there," Qui-gon said, motioning with a nod of his head. He followed the motion to see one of the large electronic billboards had changed from an advertisement to a wanted poster with their faces on it. 'Jedi: Wanted Dead or Alive for collaboration with Talran forces.' It also offered 10,000 units of local currency as a reward for each of them. The only thing Argoth could do at the moment was grumble and roll his eyes. This was only going to make their mission that much harder. Now it would be difficult for them to even move about without potentially being seen and identified. They both drew their hoods about their heads and moved back into the alley.

"We'll need to think of a new-"

"Hey look, it's them, it's those Jedi!" They both turned to see a young man standing behind them at the end of the alley, before he quickly ran away calling for help. They exchanged a brief glance at one another, then up at the roof of one of the buildings that was only three stories high. In a blur they shot almost straight up, grabbing the edge of the roof and pulling up. Then quickly ducked down, and not a moment too soon, as the sound of running feet could be heard in the alley below. There were at least half a dozen men, and one of them was giving orders for the others to spread out and start searching.

They began to race across the rooftops of the buildings in an effort to get away, not anticipating exactly how intent the Elltiri government was, on trying to capture them. No more than two buildings away, a small fast moving aircraft flew overhead. It took Argoth a moment to realize it was an aerial surveillance device. It slowed and began to circle back around, only to have Qui-Gon reach out an open hand, then close it and crush the small craft. The situation was heating up a lot faster than he had thought it would, not even sure how the Elltiri had found out about them, he looked to see what Qui-gon was going to do, deciding to let his master take the lead in this situation.

"We need to get out of the open and find somewhere to hide." Using a rooftop access door four roofs later, they were able to get into a building that was still under construction on the inside. It was dimly lit, only a few streamers of light coming in through the plastic covering the windows. The only thing that even came close to a wall were a few wooden frames that had yet to be built upon. There was a lot of construction material and tools laying around in semi-neat piles, but there didn't appear to be anyone nearby. Argoth also realized he hadn't checked the day of the week in local time. It would have helped to know if this was an official work day or not.

The inside of the building sat in stark contrast to the commotion outside. The darkness seemed almost pervasive, and for a moment Argoth thought back to the disturbance they had felt in the dark side of the Force. While Qui-gon kept watch for any sign of trouble, he closed his eyes and carefully began to concentrate, seeing if he could feel anything out of place. There was nothing he could sense, but it still bothered Argoth that something so strong had appeared once, then was gone without a trace. He wanted to know what it meant, but had a good idea they wouldn't get the chance for that until they reached the capitol. He had no doubt that Qui-gon would find a way, it was just a matter of when and how.

They remained in the building keeping watch for Elltiri planetary security until it was well past dark. It was then that they decided to move out. The plan was to make their way out of town and avoid any other patrols. From there they would try to find a way to get to the capitol, since 300 miles was a bit far to walk. The problem they were facing now was that there were still a number of foot patrols out on the street, and they knew the soldiers used thermal goggles which made them considerably harder to evade. The only option left to them was to continue across the rooftops and hope that no one spotted them.

For nearly an hour they moved through the city from rooftop to rooftop trying to make it toward the outskirts. They were nearly there and standing near the edge, watching another patrol go by, when they heard a loud crash from behind. The noise came from a rooftop access door from which two planetary security soldiers came rushing out. One of them pulled his pistol from a holster and trained it on them.

"Alright, nobody move and I don't fill you full of holes." The first one seemed rather excited, while the one behind him didn't appear to be so at all. "See Tig, I told you, if they weren't on the ground, they had to be up top. Man am I gonna get a promotion out of this, maybe two."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Jedi have all sorts of magic powers. I hear they can even stun you by just moving their arm."

"Geez really?"

"Yep," the second soldier pulled his pistol, adjusted the setting on it, then moved his arm and fired a single stun blast directly into the others back. The first soldier face planted the ground in an unconscious heap, while the other holstered his weapon and approached the two of them. "Sorry about that. Sometimes Eger's a little too smart for his own good."

Seeing one of the guards stun the other, Argoth wasn't sure how to react. There didn't seem to be any hostile intent that he could feel, and the other guard holstered his weapon before approaching them. These two were wearing helmets which concealed their faces, and the man didn't appear to be moving to take it off. Qui-gon was suspicious and ready to act if the need arose, as was Argoth, but as the two of them would quickly learn, there was no need.

"Sorry for all the commotion, my name is Tig and I must say, you two are not easy to find."

"What exactly is going on here?" Qui-gon asked.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way, and don't worry, I'm on your side." Tig picked Eger up with a bit of effort and tossed him over a shoulder, then they began the trek down through the building to the street below. As they walked, and finally drove, with Eger being dumped in the passenger seat, Tig explained the situation. He was part of an underground movement known as Hebel United. It was comprised of both Elltiri and Talran who were tired of the fighting, and they were trying to work toward a solution to bring an end to the constant conflict. They were often at odds with the government, and considered by many to be a dissident organization, so they had to operate in secret.

"Where are we going?" Qui-gon asked, leaning closer from his seat in the back of the ground speeder.

"To one of our bases in the city. You should be able to rest and recoup there without having to worry about getting shot at or arrested. We've been keeping an eye out for you since our people on the Talran side of the border told us you were coming. With a war on it's not easy to get information through, only heard that you were Jedi this afternoon. Been trying to track you down ever since." About that time Eger moaned a little, to which Tig responded by taking out his pistol and stunning him again. "Must be building up an immunity to it or something."

That made Argoth wonder just how many times Tig had stunned Eger, but thought better of asking about it. Rather than driving to the outskirts of the city, they moved further in, deeper into the heart of hostile territory in Argoth's mind. By this time much of the city was sleeping, and only a few other vehicles or pedestrians were out and about. They parked on the side of the road with Tig making sure the coast was clear before letting them out, and the three quickly moved down a small alley. At the end there was an old steel door with a slit in it.

Tig knocked on the door and the slit opened, then he gave the password 'bacon and eggs' to the set of eyes on the other side. The slit closed and several locks could be heard releasing, before it opened. As they walked inside, Argoth looked at the door guard. It was a young Twi'lek woman with green skin. She had a slender and very attractive face with full lips, wearing only a pair of leather pants with matching boots, and a white shirt tied in a knot in front of her chest. She was armed with a blaster pistol holstered on the left hip, but at this point the first thing to come to Argoth's mind was the road sign 'Dangerous Curves Ahead', because she had some to spare.

"Mind your surroundings," Qui-Gon said, speaking in a low voice. That was enough to tear his gaze from her body. The small run down building they were in was home to a good bit of makeshift furniture, and a variety of people in makeshift clothing as well. They looked like a street gang, and about as friendly.

"Don't mind the scenery," Tig said. The little group didn't speak to anyone, and walked down a blind hallway. Half way to the dead end, Tig stopped and knocked on the wall. A secret door opened and behind it was a Rhodian who was also armed, and a set of stairs leading down to a light near the bottom. Once they were down the stairs it opened into a single medium sized room with a door in each wall, and a number of people moving about. There was more furniture here, and a few consoles that had seen better days, but it was the banners on the wall that caught Argoth's attention. They were deep blue, and had a pair of hands clasping each other, with the words 'Hebel United' over top of them.

This was a site for sore eyes, not simply because they were on the same side. It was a great emotional relief to Argoth to see a group of people trying to end the violence and conflict between the two sides. Now that they were safely delivered, Tig bid them farewell and returned to duties elsewhere. There were a number of people looking at them, but no one approached. The door directly ahead of them opened, and an older man stepped out. He was wearing an Elltiri military uniform, but without any rank insignia. His short black hair had light streaks of gray, as did the goatee on his chin. The man's hooked nose was crooked, as if it had been broken and not quite properly reset. The weathered face, heavy with lines, seemed almost at conflict with the bright smile and lively blue eyes.

"Masters Jedi, it's such a relief to see you safe and unharmed," the man said, throwing his arms out almost as if to hug, then brought them down into a clasp. "My name is Alberon and I'm in charge of the Hebel United cell here in the city."

"You military?" Argoth said.

"Oooh, not for almost ten years now. Got tired of being shot at. Now, before we get down to business, is there anything I can get for you? Food, drink?"

This time it was Qui-Gon's stomach who answered for him with a small indignant gurgle. He looked down, then to Alberon. "I suppose some food wouldn't hurt."

"By all means, right this way," Alberon said, motioning to the door he'd come through with both hands. The little underground base was as run down as the building above, but the people were dressed better, and seemed to be in good spirits. On the way to get something to eat, Alberon was stopped twice by different cell members, but the conversations were brief. It was mostly pertaining to upcoming efforts to try and gain more support among the people. It also seemed a little strange to Argoth, for a dissident movement leader to be this cheerful. They came to a makeshift cafeteria with a number of tables and chairs scattered about, and a door in the far corner of the room.

"Make yourselves at home, I'll be right back," Alberon said. He disappeared into the back room as they took seats at an empty table. When he returned it was with four trays containing vacuum sealed meals, and a young blond haired human woman attractive enough to give the Twi'lek a run for her money. She was holding a drink carrier with four bottles of water. They both took a seat at the table and he passed out the meals.

"Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my wife Cera," Alberon said.

"Hello," Cera said, her voice soft and quiet. Argoth arched a brow at that thinking he was old enough to be her father at the very least, but held his tongue. Far be it for him to say anything about an age gapped relationship. They both nodded to her in greeting, and were about to start eating, when Argoth noticed Alberon and Cera fold their hands in their lap and lower their heads in prayer. Although the Jedi weren't particularly religious in the respect of worshiping deities, both Qui-Gon and Argoth lowered their heads out of respect. Alberon gave a short prayer asking a few gods to watch over them, thanked them for the meal, and other things one would expect when praying, then finished, and they began to eat. One of the other interesting differences that Argoth noted between the Talran and Elltiri were their respective religions. The former was monotheistic, the latter, polytheistic. One more difference between them. The meal proceeded in silence for a few minutes as everyone took the edge off their appetite.

"Do you know anything about why the General ordered this attack?" Qui-gon said.

"Unfortunately I don't. It came as a surprise to me as much as anyone else. The last I heard he was politely pretending not to know anything about his upcoming retirement party," Alberon said.

"You talk to General?" Argoth said.

"No, not directly, but after thirty years in the service, you do tend to make friends," Alberon said, then furrowed his brows. "Doesn't make sense though, Dehgo's not the warmonger type. Maybe it had something to do with his illness. Now that I think about it, it does sort of make sense."

That was enough to stop Argoth in mid-chew, and he looked up, "Illness?"

"Yes, not long before this whole fiasco started he fell ill, enough so that his doctors didn't think he would make it. They kept it quiet to avoid upsetting the people, he is, or was, a national hero," Alberon said. Qui-Gon and Argoth exchanged a look after that, and the rest of the meal continued without further conversation. Afterward they were shown to a room with two beds for them to sleep in. For Argoth it was a welcome sight. The meal combined with a hectic day made the padawan more than ready to play dead. In the process of doing so, he heard Qui-Gon speaking with Alberon.

"We'll need transport to Eldin, the only way we're going to be able to stop this is by getting to Dehgo," Qui-Gon said.

"Don't worry, we'll cover all that in the briefing I've got planned for tomorrow morning," Alberon said, assuring him that everything would be alright. The conversation wasn't even finished before Argoth was sound asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful one. The padawan tossed and turned that night, and it was well into the AM when he finally awoke and looked around. In the darkness he could see the outline of Qui-Gon laying in bed. His breathing was slow and shallow, a sign his master was sleeping comfortably. The reason that Argoth had awoken was his stomach, he was hungry again, only now it was worse than before.

He walked back into the base and found someone, asking if he could get another vacuum packed meal. When the person told him to help himself, he did just that. After eating six of the meals almost without stop, and drinking enough water to float a battleship, he finally stopped. Despite this Argoth was still hungry, he could have continued eating, but the six meals had taken the edge off, and he didn't want to take advantage of the hospitality of Hebel United. On the way back to his room, Argoth started to think that he was eating more than normal, a lot more. No particular reason coming to mind, and being too tired to think on it, he went back to bed and slept the rest of the night without incident.

The briefing the next morning wasn't held in a meeting room, or with a group of Alberon's most trusted. It was in the cafeteria over breakfast, with the leader and his wife. There they were told how some of Alberon's former military contacts, those who wanted the war ended as well, would help them get to the capitol of Eldin. They would also receive help getting inside the First Minister's building, which Dehgo was using as a personal command center for his new dictatorship. After that they would be on their own, as the General only allowed his most loyal soldiers to work there. Near the end of the briefing, and the meal, Argoth's stomach growled in protest.

"Still hungry friend?" Alberon said, looking over at him. "Feel free to help yourself if you want."

"No, not eat all food," Argoth said.

"Ah don't worry about it," Alberon said, waving a hand. "When we're not poking the hornet's nest, the government leaves us alone. Not like it's hard to get more." That was all the invitation he needed to walk into the back room and start plowing through the boxes of vacuum sealed meals. It was little more than a slightly chilled room with cheap metal boxes stacked around six feet high. Against the far wall was a pallet with gallons of water plastic wrapped together on top of it. Packed in sets of four, he'd just finished the third box when Qui-Gon walked into the room and surveyed the mess he'd made.

"Argoth, are you alright?" Qui-Gon said, walking up to him. Gallon jug tilted up, he looked at his master out of the corner of one eye, but finished and wiped his mouth before answering.

"No, hungry,"Argoth said. Tearing another box open, he ripped the seal off another meal and started to eat it without bothering to use the utensils. His appetite was out of control and he didn't know why. It seemed that no matter how much he ate, he wanted more. Due to his size he normally ate slightly less than the average human, but was now plowing through food like there was a shortage.

"Do you normally eat like this?" Qui-Gon said. It was a valid question as the two hadn't been together for very long, so they didn't know much about one another.

"No," Argoth said. With his fourteenth meal consumed, and a third jug of water down the hatch, he nodded. "Done."

The truth of the matter was that the food had only satisfied him to a small degree, but they had a mission to complete and he couldn't spend all morning eating everything in sight. This was definitely an issue he would have to look into once the mission was over. Tracking his biological changes was something of a guessing game at the temple however, since they had no frame of reference to go by.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Qui-Gon asked.

"No," Argoth said. His master let the matter drop after that, and so far as he was concerned, it was the truth. The mission was more important than whatever the reason for his increased appetite was. If it came down to it, Argoth would just push through and keep going. It didn't seem likely that he would starve after a buffet like that. The one thing that he was determined to do was bring this travesty to an end, so that no one else would have to suffer like the soldiers in the hospital. For Argoth, completing this mission wasn't an if, it was a when.


	11. Chapter IX

It quickly became apparent to Rahna, that Tasid had found a way to hide things from being sensed through the Force, otherwise she and Obi-Wan would have felt the dark side that was used to reanimate the headless body of the Rancor. There was no doubt that Obi-Wan could feel it now, but considering she was in a hidden passage under the estate, it was anybody's guess if he would be able to get to her in time. For right now Rahna was on her own, and there was a reanimated Rancor corpse bearing down on her at full speed. Lightsaber in hand she had no idea how to deal with a threat like this, but certainly wasn't just going to sit there and let it smash her.

When the massive fist came down, Rahna flipped backward at the last moment and swung with her lightsaber, aiming to sever the fingers. The index finger fell free from the hand, but not with ease. Even in death the Rancor's hide was thick and hard to cut through. It attacked with claw swipes and fist smashes so fast that Rahna barely had time to react. Completely on the defensive she was forced to duck, flip, and roll, just to avoid being crushed. Following another fist slam, she rolled to the side and tried to sever the hand at the wrist. Before the lightsaber could burn all the way through, the Rancor swung to the side.

Rahna was backhanded into a nearby wall, momentarily stunned by the impact as she hit the floor. To make matters worse when she looked up, her lightsaber was on the floor behind the Rancor. The creature seemed to get faster, smashing its fists on the floor, intent on killing Rahna. This sent her into a series of back flips and somersaults to avoid the onslaught. The only chance she had to stop this thing was to reach her lightsaber. Each time the Rancor slammed its fist or swiped its claws, she was able to jump out of the way, but the smell of death and decay was almost overwhelming. It was enough to nearly make the young girl wretch, but that was soon to be the last of her worries.

The Rancor charged in its endless assault and as Rahna prepared to leap past the attack and try to dive between its legs... the plan never came to pass. All because of a tickle. The tiny irritation in her nose caused Rahna to sneeze at the last moment. When her senses cleared she was laying on the floor at the opposite end of the room, having been swatted like a fly. Now her vision was beginning to blur and trying to stand caused near blinding pain as her leg buckled... it was broken. From the way she felt it likely wasn't the only thing. She could hear thudding footsteps growing louder and knew the Rancor would be on her soon.

Without a lightsaber, a broken leg, and no other options, Rahna coughed slightly thinking to herself this wasn't how she'd imagined dying. She tried to push up on one hand, and from inside her robe, the book on Nightsister Magic fell out. It landed on the floor, opening, and she glanced down, then nearly did a double take seeing what was written on the page. It was a section about tissue reanimation. Not only how to reanimate it, but also how to undo the spell that would bind the body in the first place. In that instant time seemed to freeze, because Rahna knew what this meant. The spell might just stop the Rancor, but using it would require her to call upon the dark side. That was something that she had always been afraid to do, hearing how dangerous it was from the masters at the temple.

What choice did she have? In moments the Rancor would be on her and then it would all be over. She would be killed with a single blow. The incantation was written in a language that Rahna could read, and so she stretched out a hand toward the approaching monstrosity and spoke the words. Calling on the dark side of the Force was something that she had never done before, and had no idea how to do so. The Rancor continued moving forward and was almost on top of her. Nearly in a panic, she remember the words of Master Yoda. She remembered him teaching the younglings they must control their emotions, fear most of all. Fear led to anger, anger to hate, and hate... to suffering.

The Rancor succeeded in evoking just that emotion as well, because when it drew back to strike, she was terrified. Rahna allowed the emotion to flow through her, and the dark side flooded in through the door she'd opened like a tidal wave. In that instant it washed away the light and the only thing left was a singular drive, an instinct to survive no matter the cost. When Rahna started to utter the words of the spell again, the beast shuddered and seemed to pause. Then the fist opened and the claws began to move toward her.

"No..." Rahna said. Standing up her broken knee snapped back into place. So focused on this, she didn't see the blue lightsaber blade erupt from the roof of the room and begin to cut a circular pattern. This beast, this thing, wanted to kill Rahna, and what started out as fear began to turn inward upon itself. Like a great black pit that consumed everything the fear grew, becoming pain, which in turn led to anger.

This was no longer a matter of if she would survive, Rahna would not allow this mockery of life to take hers. The claws inched closer and she threw her other hand out, feeling the dark side energy within the Rancor begin to waver. Slowly twisting her hands around, the spell began to warp the energy inside the body and the Rancor staggered back. That brought a wicked smile to Rahna's face as she tried to imagine the pain it was feeling.

"That's right you piece of reanimated garbage, suffer! You're going to kill me? I don't think so." Balling her hands into fists the Rancor nearly fell over. Then the last word she nearly spit out through bared teeth. "DIE!"

At the same instant the Rancor collapsed and began to turn to ash, unbound from the spell that preserved it, a roughly circular section of the roof hit the floor with a crash. Without even thinking, Rahna held out a hand summoning her lightsaber, ignited the blade, and turned just in time to see Obi-Wan drop down through the hole. At first a smile began to spread across his face, only to fade just as quickly. His brows furrowed in uncertainty and he took a step back from the section of roof he was standing on.

"Rahna?" Obi-Wan said.

"No thanks to you," Rahna spat. "I almost died fighting that thing, for all the good you did. Where were you, where?!"

"Rahna, you need to calm down, now." The anger inside of her was continuing to build, and her breathing was growing more ragged. She had nearly died fighting the Rancor and Obi-Wan hadn't been any help at all. Had she not used that spell they wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. She had done the one thing every Jedi was warned never to do, this was all his fault. All of her pain and suffering, because of him! There was only one thing to be done, make him suffer as well. Lightsaber in hand, Rahna took a step forward... then hesitated. Obi-Wan had come for her, he cut a hole through the ceiling, and had he been a few minutes earlier, they would have fought together. They would have been side by side like they always were. Obi-Wan and Rahna against whatever threat faced them.

He hadn't done anything wrong, her master was trying to help. It was his fault, he had to suffer! But Obi-Wan was her friend, and master. Rahna had known him since she was five years old, how could she even consider hurting him, it was unthinkable! The darkness within began to subside, the rage and anger fading, then it resurfaced with a vengeance pushing everything else aside. The Jedi would suffer. Yet it was only a single step she took. Rahna's grip on the lightsaber was so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She wanted to hurt him, badly, yet something was stopping her. The struggle within continued to rage on, the urge to attack, to hurt and injure the one she blamed for all of this. But she couldn't, Rahna couldn't bring herself to hurt her oldest and dearest friend.

It finally began to twist her up inside so badly she let out a shriek and dropped the lightsaber, grabbing her head with both hands. In an instant Obi-Wan was across the room and grabbed Rahna, then did the one thing that was completely unexpected, he hugged her. She fought violently, jerking and thrashing, slapping and resisting. Refusing to let go, even taking a pair of slaps to the face, Obi-Wan concentrated, drawing the force into himself. Being that close to such a strong source of light side energy helped it grow within her as well, and soon the darkness began to recede. All of the rage and anger, the desire to hurt and kill, it slowly faded, then disappeared altogether.

Rahna almost fell as her knee, being held together by the dark side, came apart once more. She yelped as Obi-Wan helped her sit down, and now thoroughly exhausted by the whole ordeal, she leaned against him. The exhaustion was physical as well as emotional, and her hands were still shaking. In all her years as a Jedi, Rahna had never thought herself capable of such hatred and anger. She had killed the Rancor, if you could kill something that was already dead, but what bothered her the most is that she had enjoyed it. Watching the reanimated body seemingly suffer as the spell had warped and twisted the force energy within. The realization that the dark side had given her power over such a monstrous thing. There was a part of her that liked that, no matter how much the rest of her didn't want to.

"I'm sorry Master, I'm so sorry..." Rahna said.

"Hush now, there will be time to talk about that later. Are you alright?"

"No..." Rahna said, feeling the pit of her stomach twisting itself into knots. For a time Obi-Wan remained kneeling and hugged her. Tears rolled across her cheeks at the thought of what might have happened, had she truly lost control. The silent tears served as a release for Rahna's pain, and soon the padawan was able to pull herself together. This wasn't the first time Obi-Wan had been a source of comfort for her. The two had been friends since she was a child, and the little redheaded girl had followed him everywhere throughout the temple when he was there, and she was allowed to do so.

The Jedi Master had been her unofficial teacher for a long time, passing on the pearls of wisdom that he gained out on missions with his own master, Qui-Gon Jinn. This was probably the one place in the entire universe that Rahna felt the safest. Once they were ready to depart, it was only a matter of putting her back together again. Her injuries turned out to be a broken knee, and three broken ribs. It would have taken her a few hours to knit all that back together, but with help it only amounted to forty-five minutes. Regardless of the healing, there was still a stiffness that would take time to fade. These kind of injuries weren't the type you could just 'walk' away from.

"Tell me coming here was worth something?" Rahna said, finally able to stand up.

"Indeed it was, Thrad and I discovered a lead that just might take us to the person who stole the Codex," Obi-Wan said. As they walked over to the hole in the roof, Thrad and some other security officers were standing there looking down.

"Just a moment, I'll have someone drop a rope down to-" The older man stopped short when the two of them leapt straight up through the hole. "-or not..." On the way out of the estate, Obi-Wan explained they had uncovered some transmissions between Tasid and his older brother, a man named Goris. They had been kept in a database located offsite, and Obi-Wan had been able to crack the security codes from a terminal in the estate. There they'd learned the two had a number of heated exchanges about the very thing they were after. Goris wanted his brother to get rid of it, fearing the Codex was having a negative effect on him. There was even a threat from Goris to destroy the relic, so it was only natural to pay him a visit.

Planetary security had done so before, but Goris played dumb about the whole situation. Now with the transmissions revealing he knew what the Codex was, it was time to pay the man another visit. The plan was for local security to question the man and keep him occupied, while they searched the house covertly. Rahna didn't like the idea of sneaking around like a thief, but if it would help bring this situation to a peaceful resolution, she would do what needed to be done. On the drive through the city, in a cramped metal transport, Rahna's discomfort was quickly turning to shame. She knew that Obi-Wan had seen the book laying on the floor, he'd looked directly at it, but thus far hadn't said anything. At this point she couldn't look her master in the eyes.

When they reached Goris' house near the edge of the city, it was smaller than his brother's, but still nice. It was a two story home bordering on a small mansion itself, but lacked the wall and expensive front lawn. A simple white in color it boasted floor to ceiling windows with a sloped black roof. When Rahna inquired as to what he did for a living, Thrad explained that he was a moderately successful agricultural commodities merchant, and single. It came as a relief to learn the only people living there were Goris and a single servant. That would make it easier for them to move around undetected.

As per the prearranged plan, the two transports drove up to the home, with the one carrying Obi-Wan and Rahna, parking closer to the side of the house. They waited the allotted five minutes, for Thrad and the other security officers to speak with Goris and move into the house, then they exited the transport and made their way around the back. In doing so, Rahna noticed the house also had a nice pond with an old fashion wooden boat some two-hundred yards back. There was a large waist high hedge around the back of the house, with Rahna noting it might provide good cover if they needed to hide. Snooping around like this was a bit of a stretch she knew, but they were running out of leads. While Obi-Wan picked the lock, a skill most Jedi knew, but rarely spoke of, she kept watch. It wasn't long before there was a small clicking noise, and the polished wood door swung open soundlessly. Once the two of them were inside it was quickly closed and relocked.

They appeared to be in a long back hallway that had four doors, two in either wall, before opening up and leading further into the house some distance ahead. Without a word Obi-Wan took the door on the left, and she went right. Her choice turned out to be a storage room filled with a combination of metal and wooden crates. She quickly began to look through them, still annoyed by the fact she had no idea what the Codex looked like. There were clothes, books, a few photo albums, and other assorted items that weren't at all out of the ordinary, save for the legal but substantial blaster rifle collection in one crate. It didn't take long to go through everything and come up empty.

She exited into the hallway the same time as Obi-Wan, and they both shook their heads a little before heading to the next set of doors. This time it was a rather spacious wash room. She went about searching and in short order, came up empty again. Exiting into the hall a second time, Obi-Wan was still searching the other room, she stopped short hearing the sound of whistling. It was coming from further inside, and very carefully she peered around the corner of the hall. Leaning to the side just enough to look with a single eye, the hall opened up into a large back room. There were a set of stairs leading up to the second floor, several expensive paintings on the wall, but it was otherwise empty.

The whistling was coming from an open door near the stairs, and there she could see a young man with short dark hair and plain clothes. He was cooking on an island stove in the middle of the room, flipping an egg a few times, and continued to whistle a small tune she wasn't familiar with. He had rakish good looks, and Rahna couldn't help smiling. This was the first time she'd seen someone actually whistling while they worked. When Obi-Wan came up behind her and assumed a similar stance it didn't startle her. This was no doubt the servant they'd heard about, but he was also presenting something of a problem by facing the open door. There was no way they could make a dash for the stairs without being seen.

Lifting a hand, she made a small motion, pushing a container of salt near the young man into the floor. He looked down, then set the pan on the stove, and bent down to pick it up. That was all the time the two of them needed, they were past the door and near the stairs in a flash. Up the stairs they came to three halls, two at either end of the stairs and one near the center. Somewhat annoyed by all the sneaking around, she once again chose another door and continued the search. This time Rahna entered what appeared to be a personal study. It wasn't as large as Tasid's, but had several book cases, and a large wooden desk near the far end of the room. That was the first place she went.

Rifling through the drawers she pushed a ledger aside and froze almost instantly, her breath catching in her throat. There at the bottom of the drawer was something she had never expected to find in the study of a merchant. Black and gold in color with intricate carvings, was a small palm sized pyramid with four sides. It also made Rahna a little nervous because she knew what it was... a Sith holocron. Could this be the Codex they'd been looking for? Rahna couldn't be sure, but even if it wasn't, this was something that didn't need to be in the hands of the everyday person. She sent a sensation through the force to Obi-Wan letting him know she needed help.

He appeared through the door not long after and walked over to the desk, seemingly as surprised as she was to see the holocron. Carefully he picked the device up, then it did something that neither of them was expecting. There was a small click, and all four sides lowered, giving it a rough star shape. Rahna knew that holocrons, Sith or Jedi, normally didn't open like this. Inside there was a data crystal, but it appeared different. Held in place by a small ring that was fastened to the base, there were tiny dark lines running through it. Even nearly on top of the crystal they were too small to see clearly without some sort of image magnification.

Each of the four tips of the holocrons sides glowed red, and small beams of light lanced out striking the crystal. It quickly took on the same color and she started to get worried, though neither of them would have the time to find out what it was doing. Obi-Wan snapped the device shut the moment they notice movement in their peripheral vision. Someone or something had just dropped down not too far away from them, and landed softly in the room. When Rahna looked over, she nearly did a double take seeing someone stand up, and keep going up. Rahna almost couldn't believe her eyes. Not because of the person's height, it was the fact she was a woman. It was without a doubt the largest that she'd ever seen.

Covered from head to toe in black armor that appeared very high tech, it was accentuated with small lines that glowed orange with energy. The woman was also robust in build, appearing quite strong physically. By her own estimates the woman was at least six and a half feet tall, maybe a few inches more. A quick glance up revealed that she had come in through a skylight. This was also very disconcerting because despite the lack of a wrap around cloak or hood, she wore a mask identical in design to the Lightsaber Assassin. The holocron was quickly stuffed into Obi-Wan's robe when he noticed her looking at it, and the two walked around the desk in opposite directions to put some distance between them, and potentially provide a strategic advantage if it came to that.

"Well, it would appear we're not the only ones searching for something here," Obi-Wan said. As they talked, Rahna kept a close eye on the lightsaber that hung from a hip ring attached to the armor.

"Unfortunately you have the exact something that I'm looking for," the woman said.

"I don't suppose we could discuss this in a civilized fashion?" Obi-Wan said. His posture was already tense, one hand to close his side. Rahna knew this well, it was his 'grab the lightsaber and prepare for battle' stance. Not sure what was about to happen, she did much the same and waited, hoping the woman would be willing to talk this out.

"I don't see why not. I would prefer to settle this with words rather than blades. You may call me Fifth," Fifth said. That came as quite a surprise, watching the woman take a non-threatening posture. Even Obi-Wan was taken aback, having asked what seemed like a rhetorical question at the time.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is my padawan Rahna. First I would like to ask what you're doing here, looking for a relic that Governor Tasid discovered in an old Killik hive." Instead of immediately answering, the woman walked around the room in a casual manner, looking at some of the books in the book cases before running a finger across them. Though keeping a close eye on her, Rahna was also paying attention to the Force, but didn't sense any hostile intent from the interloper. She was either good at masking her feelings, or genuinely didn't want to fight.

"An old relic discovered in a Killik hive, so that's the story that thief made up," Fifth said.

"Thief?" Rahna said.

"Yes, thief," Fifth said, turning to face them. "What you have is not some relic from a Killik hive. A few years ago when Tasid was on a diplomatic mission to a planet called Agiza, a small shuttle was forced to make an emergency landing on the planet. Unfortunately neither the pilot nor the passenger survived. That was where Tasid discovered this 'Codex'. I imagine he was either first on scene and stole it before emergency services arrived, or somehow managed to come into possession of it later. Either way it doesn't belong to him, and I want it back."

"Back?" Obi-Wan asked. "Are you saying it belongs to you?"

"Yes, it was being delivered to someone else when the couriers met their untimely end, and it has taken me a long time to track down its whereabouts," Fifth said.

"Do you know what Tasid did with the Codex while it was in his possession?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm well aware of the situation here on Alderaan. He used it to store the dirty little secrets of the nobles houses. I can assure you Master Kenobi, I have no interest in petty planetary politics. How about this?" Reaching behind her back, Fifth produced second device almost identical to the first. "I'll trade you this blank for the Codex, and you can do with it as you please."

"You know, that's a very interesting design on your mask. You wouldn't by chance know someone considerably smaller, wanted for the murder of Governor Tasid?" Obi-Wan asked.

The woman put the device away and folded her arms, Rahna could tell she was starting to get impatient. "That would be Second. As to her whereabouts, all I know for certain right now is that she's not on Alderaan. Not that I would tell you her location, even if I knew it. Regardless, that's not the concern at this point. I'm here for the Codex."

"Why didn't Second take the Codex when she killed Tasid?" Rahna said.

"Why didn't she what?" Fifth said, then chuckled slightly. "Oh, you mean the little video clip to Tasid's last moments? Because it wasn't the Codex he was working with. If it was she would have taken it."

"If you know anything about Second, that is very much a concern," Obi-Wan said. Rahna could already tell the situation was deteriorating. Through conversation they'd established a link between Fifth and Second. There was also a very subtle, but unmistakable, edge in Obi-Wan's voice because she knew he wasn't going to give up the Codex, and now they had a potential lead on the assassin.

Fifth remained silent for a moment, then asked in a very low, very calm voice, "Are you going to give me what is mine?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Obi-Wan said. The same moment the lightsaber flew into Fifth's hand, his cloak came off, as did hers, and three weapons ignited.

"Why can't anyone ever do things the easy way?!" Fifth said.


	12. Chapter X

Alberoth's plan to get Qui-Gon and Argoth to Eldin and inside the capitol building only proved to be partially successful. They made the five hour trip without incident, utilizing a troop transport filled with Elltiri soldiers who were sympathetic to the cause. Argoth talked with a number of them along the way, learning that many were followings orders because they could be shot for treason otherwise, but weren't very happy about the conflict. After another border war two years prior, many weren't eager to resume hostilities.

Upon reaching Eldin, Qui-Gon and Argoth were hidden in built-in cargo compartments, and from there they could hear the soldiers talking outside the city. That morning Dhego's office had issued an order stating that no one was allowed in or out of the city without special orders, which included military. Their escorts had tried to argue that they needed to resupply and refuel, but were rebuffed anyway. Because of this they were forced to divert to a nearby town a few miles away. The soldiers apologized more than once after letting them out near a small forested area outside the city, while changing a tire that hadn't blown. This way they could take cover and avoid being seen.

That left the two of them to find a way into a fortified city they had yet to even lay eyes on. Another potential problem was the town which they could see from the treeline, and with all the wanted posters it could be a problem. The transport left and Argoth began to think about how they were going to get to Eldin, and then inside the city itself. This mission seemed to be getting tougher by the day, and he was eager to bring the conflict to an end. About to ask Qui-Gon what the plan was, their attention was drawn by the sound of a small crowd approaching. The two quickly ducked down into some underbrush and watched quietly.

It was a group of fifteen Elltiri soldiers escorting a group of people. There were men, women, children, and elderly. By Argoth's count there were some thirty in total. They stopped a short distance away, and his heart dropped when the soldiers lined up in front of them... it was a firing squad. That quickly changed to anger to even see something like this, and the padawan reached for his lightsaber. He was stopped when Qui-Gon placed a hand over his, and looking back his master pointed to an eye, an ear, and the group. It meant watch and listen. Not sure what was going on, he did as instructed.

"Since these traitors decided to aid Talran rebels, we're going to make an example out of them," the commander said.

"Sir, shouldn't we take them to the detention center for questioning? We need to find out who's guilty and who's not." Another soldier said. He was the only other one not in line. The people gathered in front of them were terrified, and looking around for anything or anyone that might be able to help them. Argoth wasn't about to let something like this happen if he was able to stop it, and he determined that if the soldiers in the firing squad raised their weapons, he would attack. Qui-Gon physically tackling him would be the only thing that would stop the padawan.

"You have your orders soldier, carry them out," the commander said. There was a long silence as the soldiers in the firing line looked at one another. The other soldier started to walk toward the firing line, then stopped. Hands clenching into fists he turned around.

"No sir!" the second soldier said.

"What did you say?" the commander said.

"I said no, I will NOT be party to a massacre. This is wrong!"

"In case you've forgotten, General Dehgo has suspended the Constitution for the duration of the war."

"Screw this," the second soldier said, then drew his sidearm and shot the commander dead. "And screw you. I'm a soldier, not a murderer." Much to Argoth's surprise, the soldiers in the firing line nodded, seemingly approving of the little rebellion. Holstering the weapon, the soldier ordered the civilians be taken to the detention center for questioning. As the soldiers started to leave, the one who had shot the commander continued to stand there. With a sigh the blaster pistol was holstered, and the helmet removed.

To Argoth's surprise it turned out to be a woman, despite her armor not having any chest protrusions. Her short, dirty blonde hair framed an average face that was rugged and devoid of make-up. She looked down at the helmet for a time, then tossed it aside and walked toward the tree line close to where they were. Argoth also knew what was going on. The soldier had just shot and killed a superior officer. In just about any army that was an offense that would likely have the perpetrator court-marshaled and shot themselves.

The padawan nearly did a double take as the soldier walked by less than a dozen yards away, and Qui-Gon stood up. Hearing the rustle of the underbrush she looked over and gasped, reaching for her pistol. Before the hand was able to grip the weapon, Argoth was standing as well, hand extended, keeping the weapon in the holster.

"Don't be afraid, we mean you no harm," Qui-Gon said. The soldier stood there, taking stock of the two of them, and finally let go of the pistol handle.

"You're those two Jedi that everyone's looking for, the Talran sympathizers."

"The only ones we're sympathizing with are those who want this conflict brought to an end," Qui-Gon said. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my padawan, Argoth."

The soldier folded her arms and continued to eye them suspiciously. "Adora Hightower, Second Delat, Elltiri Army, or at least I used to be." While Qui-Gon explained the situation and their mission to reach General Dehgo, Argoth remained alert in the event Adora tried anything, but she didn't. The explanation detailed the original reason for their arrival, the attack in orbit, and everything that brought them to where they were now. Adora relaxed a little after that, and seemed interested in their mission now.

"So you're trying to get to General Dehgo to try and bring this war to an end? Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

"Got better idea?" Argoth said.

"No, I suppose I don't," Adora said, sighing gently. "I take it since we're having this conversation, you think I can help somehow?"

"We're trying to get into Eldin," Qui-Gon said. "But General Dhego has sealed off the city. We were hoping that you might know a way in." Adora looked up into the tress and thought about it, shaking her head a few times while mumbling. It seemed almost like the soldier was having a private conversation in her head, reviewing possible options. While many might consider talking to one self to be a sign of mental instability, there were times Argoth considered the only means by which to get an intelligent answer, because he always knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Go sewers?" Argoth said.

"Does this look like an action-vid?" Aroda said. "The sewers around Eldin have full security systems, access gates, and cameras. If we tried to use the sewers, they'd send half the soldiers in the city after us."

"Crappy way to go." Adora ignored the joke, and Qui-Gon just looked down at his apprentice, arching an eyebrow.

"The only possible way I can think of is the airfield," Adora said, looking over at them. "Tarn is the largest local medical supplier for the hospital. With the war on they make deliveries almost every day."

"Can you get us in there?" Qui-Gon said.

To that Adora only laughed, "I just committed treason by shooting my commanding officer, and you want me to go back in there?"

"Do you want to end this war?" Qui-Gon said. There was no response to that at first, and she looked between them and back toward the city, seemingly unsure of how to answer. Argoth could feel both indecision and a measure of fear. It took a moment for Adora to steel her resolve, and finally sighed.

"Wait here, there's no way the two of you can get onto the airfield with your faces plastered everywhere," Adora said. "I'll see if there are any friendly faces I can talk to. If I'm not back in an hour, that probably means I'm dead." Adora left without another word after that, and while Argoth didn't like the idea of just waiting around for someone to possibly help them, they didn't have many other options at this point. He also wasn't sure if she would simply turn them in or not. Normally he could sense a person's emotions and intent when in close proximity, but such wasn't always the case with soldiers. They were trained to suppress their emotions, which could at times interfere with his empathetic abilities.

Because of the fact Qui-Gon hadn't raised any objections, he remained silent as well. The two waited in the bushes, quietly hoping that everything would go well. More than once both master and padawan exchanged glances, but Qui-Gon always seemed to remain hopeful that things would turn out well. As time passed they continued to wait, and Argoth nearly wore the spring out on the lid of his pocket chrono, checking the time. The agreed upon hour elapsed without any sign of Adora, but still they continued to wait.

To pass a bit of time, Argoth asked what they would do if she didn't come back, and Qui-Gon replied the only thing they could, walk to Eldin and try to find a way in. When another hour passed and the sun began to set against the horizon, Argoth gave up hope of Adora's return. Even Qui-gon seemed resigned to walking, and after a final half hour passed, they both stood and walked further into the trees to wait for nightfall. They were both overtaken by a huge gust of wind and the sound of turbines, and looked up to see a transport flying so low it was almost skimming the tree tops. When it landed on the other side of the area they were in, the two quickly dashed in that direction. The vessel was small and boxy in appearance, with two large yellow cargo containers on the either side. They found the side door facing them open, and Adora sitting in the pilot seat. As soon as they climbed in, she looked back and put a finger over her lips, they both kept silent.

"Transport 113, why have you landed without authorization?" a voice said over the comm-system.

"I'm having trouble with the engine's primary intake manifold, I think it's jammed," Adora said.

"Again?" the voice said, sighing audibly. "You want me to have a repair team come look at it?"

"Uh, let me run a system diagnostic and see if that'll clear it up." Adora did run a system diagnostic, then tapped a button in front of her. "Whadda ya know, all good now."

"Copy that 113, have the guys in the shop look at it when you get to Eldin," the voice said.

"Copy, over and out." Once the line closed, she looked back at them. "I'm going to have to take off sharpish or they might get suspicious, so listen and don't complain. The only way I can sneak you in, is inside the cargo containers. You'll end up inside a warehouse, and hopefully they won't inventory you too soon. Wait for night shift to show up before you try to leave, the crew it pretty small."

The idea of hiding in a cargo container wasn't a very pleasing one for Argoth, but they both nodded and got out again. When Adora popped the hatches on either side, they each squeezed into one of them, and closed it behind them. When the transport took off, the ride was anything but pleasant. The vehicle itself seemed in need of a complete overhaul, and Argoth was constantly being poked and jostled by moving boxes. There in the darkness of the cargo container where no one could hear, he spent nearly the entire trip complaining. Thankfully it didn't take long to reach Eldin, and he let out a small sigh of relief at the thump of the landing gear touching down.

There was some muffled talking outside, followed by the sound of machinery whirring, then a small thump as something grabbed the cargo container. They were moved elsewhere, and following another thump, silence fell. With that Argoth let out a small sigh, and finally allowed himself to relax at little, at least mentally. Physically he still felt like a sardine jammed into a can. It wasn't easy to meditate, but he managed to do so after a time, and focused on the Force. Through it he could not only feel Qui-Gon nearby, but the other people in the warehouse as well. He remained like that for what seemed like hours, only getting vague empathic sensation from his master. They were those of peace, calm, and tranquility.

Instead of being annoyed by all of this, Argoth took his time, and practiced his Force abilities. In this regard he tried to focus on the people in the warehouse to get a better read on them, and sense what they were feeling. His abilities in this regard were still too unrefined to pick up anything aside from a general sense of boredom. Argoth was also able to tell when night shift arrived, by sensing most of the people leaving. By his own count there might have been half a dozen, and that's when the feeling of needing to move came through the Force. Qui-Gon's abilities in this regard were a lot better, and Argoth knew he needed to move quickly.

Not even sure of his directional orientation, the padawan finally managed to pop the container's hatch and was thankful to be facing upward. They were in a large warehouse with huge metal bin shelves that had hundreds of cargo pods stacked five deep. Two shelves to the left another hatch popped open, and Qui-Gon appeared. Together they closed them and quickly regrouped. Instead of speaking and risking being overheard, they used sign language. Qui-Gon indicated they needed to find an exit and get their bearings as soon as possible, which Argoth agreed with. As quietly as possible they moved through the warehouse, trying to find their way out.

Nearing the corner of one of the aisles, they heard the sound of talking, and quickly ducked behind some cargo containers in one of the bins. It turned out to be two employees, and it sounded like they were talking about sports, completely oblivious to Jedi's presence. When the was clear, Argoth started to step out, then Qui-Gon tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. Following the finger, he could barely see some lighted red lettering between some other containers. After a peak around the corner, he was relieved to see that it was the word 'EXIT' written in Basic. That relief quickly faded when they reached the door.

In large letters there was a warning, it said that opening the emergency exit would sound an alarm. Frustrated by this, Argoth signed, asked if Qui-Gon knew how to disarm the alarm. He responded possibly, and stepped closer to the door. Because the alarm was meant to alert others to an emergency, rather than as part of a security system, the small box was attached to the side of the door frame. Prying the plastic cover loose, he studied the circuitry inside, then raised a hand. As Argoth watched, Qui-Gon moved his fingers around gently, and some of the components began to move as well. The eternity that it took, which was closer to twenty seconds, passed slowly, then the red light inside turned green. That brought a grin to Argoth's face, and a touch of professional jealously, as he couldn't control the force with that level of finesse. The door opened and closed without a sound, and they exited into a rather chilly Eldin night.

"Going somewhere?" The sound of the voice brought both of them around to see Adora leaning against the wall with her arms folded. The name tag over her left breast was different as well, it read Boggs.

"How did you know we'd leave this way? Qui-Gon said.

"There are only two exits to the warehouse, and I doubted you'd try the front door. So, shall we?" Adora said. Qui-Gon gave a small nod, and the three of them set out. Argoth knew why his master hadn't given her the 'it's too dangerous' speech. Adora was a trained soldier, and she knew the lay of the capitol better than either of them. Seeing Eldin from ground level made Argoth think of Coruscant. There were sky scrapers reaching so high into the sky, that he had to strain to see the tops in the darkness. Even at night the buildings were specked with lights, many of the with signs atop them, offering a variety of goods and services, advertised by a number of scantly clad women. Even the traffic, both on the ground and in the air, remained steady. That view quickly changed as Adora pried a manhole cover loose in one of the alleys.

"I thought you said the sewers had security systems," Qui-Gon said.

"Around the edge of the city yes, but on the inside it's just a bunch of nasty sewers," Adora said. "Besides, there aren't really any safe places nearby to run off to if someone spots the two of you." Not too excited to be going down into the sewers, Argoth was the last one down, and closed the cover behind them. Upon reaching the walkway that ran along the sides of the tunnel, the padawan tried to plug his nose, but wasn't fast enough. Smelling the river of waste, he leaned forward and threw-up into it. Argoth's sense of smell was slightly better than the average human, which only made this all the worse. It took a moment for him to suppress the nausea and desire to throw-up a second time, and following a small nod, they continued.

The sewers were dark, wet, and the stench was so rancid that all Argoth could think about was getting out. Even having to clean bathrooms at the temple for misbehaving, was a walk in the park compared to this. Adora lead the way, taking them through one dark tunnel after another, but it was obvious she wasn't too familiar with the sewers either. Every so often she would climb a ladder bolted to the wall, and lift the manhole cover just enough to get her bearings before they continued. Argoth tried to distract himself thinking about how they would stop Dehgo once they got t him.

This continued for the next hour before they arrived under the building in question. Now they had to figure out how to get in, because there was no conveniently unguarded manhole cover for them to sneak out of. While Qui-Gon and Adora discussed the security measures that were in place, and how to possibly circumvent them, he looked at a series of pipes nearby. By his own estimation the First Minister's Building wasn't that far above them. The conversation between soldier and master came to an end when Argoth held out a hand and a lightsaber flew into it, only this time it was Qui-Gon's.

For this he would need a blade longer than what was produced by a shotosaber, and igniting the green blade, he began to cut a circle directly through the concrete. Almost immediately the blade began to spark and spit as he ruptured more than one water line, fortunately it wasn't tainted with waste. Getting something of an impromptu bath, he completed the circle, but the concrete didn't fall. The foundation was thicker than he thought, but using the force he ripped it loose, the large chunk slamming into the floor after he stepped back.

The water was gushing by now, so Argoth called upon the force one last time to crush the pipes. Now drenched from head to toe, he stood on the chunk of foundation and finished cutting the hole without any difficulty. Shutting the lightsaber off, he handed it back to Qui-Gon, then looked up seeing what looked like a bathroom stall.

"Those lightsabers sure are handy for making doors," Adora said.

"Among other things," Qui-Gon said, offering a little smirk. It didn't take long for the small group to make their way up into the bathroom. Now came the hard part, getting to General Dehgo without setting off every alarm in the compound. Once the three climbed up into the bathroom, Argoth immediately noticed something was wrong. Pushing the door open, he looked around seeing nothing but stalls, mirrors, sinks, and a tile floor. It was as if there was a thickness in the air, it was oppressive, and Qui-Gon seemed to sense it as well.

Adora was looking around carefully, sidearm in hand, but didn't seem otherwise disturbed. That made it fairly clear she had the force sensitivity of a doorstop. Argoth exchanged a look with his master finally realizing what he was sensing... it was the lingering sensation of the Dark Side. Now even more careful than before, Argoth stepped forward and carefully opened the door just enough to see out, with Qui-Gon doing so over top of him as well.

There were four dead soldiers in the hallway, three of them still had their sidearms in the holster, and he could see long burns in the wall. They were struck down by a lightsaber, and from the look of things, it happened so fast, three of them fell before even knowing what was happening. Whoever they had sensed earlier... was here. From the burnt smell that still lingered in the hall, they attacker couldn't have been through more than a few minutes prior. Stepping out into the hall, he looked in the other direction seeing three more dead soldiers as well, weapons still holstered.


	13. Chapter XI

In a cloud of wood and plaster, Obi-Wan crashed through the roof of the livingroom were Goris and the security officers were talking. Tumbling across the floor he hit the opposite wall as Fifth dropped down through the hole. Still dazed from a powerful force push, Rahna was trying to clear her senses. Goris disappeared into the house as the security officers drew their blaster pistols. Intent on taking the Codex, Fifth was focused on her opponent and didn't even look at them. When the scream of blaster fire ripped through the air, the bolts were deflected with what seemed like casual waves of the red lightsaber. The security officers grunted and yelled as they were struck down by their own weapons.

Rising to her feet, Rahna quickly learned that Fifth's size wasn't just for show, she knew how to use it and possessed considerable strength both physically and in calling upon the Force. The moment she attacked there had been a large surge in dark side energy. As Obi-Wan was recovering, Rahna jumped down through the hole and leapt at Fifth, weapon overhead to strike. The woman's arm shot back causing the girl to gag as she was force choked, then slung at her master like a projectile. Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber to avoid hurting her, and the two of them crashed through the wall into the yard beyond.

Outside the lightsaber duel that erupted was a vicious one, with blades popping and hissing as they crashed against each other. Obi-Wan and Rahna stood together, side by side. At first they tried to attack at the same time. She came in aiming to slash at a knee to disable their opponent, while Obi-Wan aimed for the weapon arm. Fifth swung her blade down, smashing it into Rahna's hard enough to push the girl off balance and halt the offensive, then blocked his attacks. When Rahna tried to attack again, Fifth utilized her considerable reach and grabbed the girl by the face. The red lightsaber was then tossed into the air.

Obi-Wan was able to throw his arms up and brace against the force push that followed, but was still slid back by the impact. Slow to react as the face grab confused her, Rahna was whipped overhead and slammed into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her, as did the heel to stomach as Fifth walked on her. Fifth grabbing the lightsaber as it came down, and continued to focus on attacking Obi-Wan. It was quickly becoming obvious that their opponent had been specifically trained in a manner that utilized both her size and strength.

Being slammed into the ground and then walked on like a doormat was painful, enough so that Rahna was left coughing and trying to recover. She could also feel Obi-Wan drawing on the force to increase his speed and reaction time. Coming at Fifth with a flurry of swings, it was the first time since their fight started, that she was put on the defensive. Now their overly large opponent was stepping back rather than forward. She was able to defend herself, but it was taking an effort to do so. Their blades were clashing with incredible speed, then all at once it stopped.

Fifth's head came down when there was a small opening, and slammed into Obi-Wan's with a dull clunk. He was almost knocked out by the blow and Rahna, nearly recovered, rose to her feet to defend him. As it turned out there was no need to. Fifth reached into his robe and took the Codex, and with a burst of force speed she was gone, having disappeared into the city nearby. Rahna was in no shape to pursue, and feared it wouldn't do any good anyway. Staggering over to where Obi-Wan was, they both took time to recover. Once his senses had returned, they got up and walked back into the house to check on the planetary security officers that were sprawled everywhere.

Rahna was surprised to find that no one had been killed. Fifth had deflected the blaster bolts, striking shoulders, arms, and legs. They were all injured, but would eventually recover with proper treatment. The house was a mess, everyone was hurt, but even worse they'd lost the Codex. It was enough to make Rahna want to scream, coming so close, only to have their prize snatched away by some stranger. The sound of sirens could already be heard in the distance as emergency services were en route. They had been called by Thrad who had a comlink in one hand. He was leaning against a wall with a rather nasty looking blaster wound in his other shoulder.

Obi-Wan and Rahna stayed long enough to make sure that everyone would be alright, and gave Goris information on how to contact the Jedi Council. They were responsible for destroying a large portion of the man's house after all, so it was only right he be compensated. She was just glad he was too shocked by everything that had happened, to think about asking why they were there in the first place. Planetary security retrieved the two vehicles at the home, and gave them both a ride back to Aldera City. Once they were dropped off outside the front gates of the palace, Rahna finally let out a small sigh.

"I can't believe we failed."

"Did we?" She looked up at her master, not sure what he meant by that. Fifth made her look like a complete idiot in battle, bested him, took the Codex, and now they had been dropped off on the palace doorstep empty handed.

"She took the Codex, we've got nothing."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Reaching into his robe, Obi-Wan held a fist out to Rahna, opened it, and there in the palm of his hand was the crystal from inside the Codex. Her eyes widened in surprise, wondering when he'd had the time to palm it. This was a complete reversal of fortune, which caused her to grin realizing Fifth had taken what amounted to an empty housing. "Not only that, think back to the conversation before the fight. What did we learn from that?"

Her mind raced thinking about the words that were exchanged, trying to pick out any information that might help them. "Let's see... Fifth knows the assassin whom she called Second, uh... they were dressed in a similar fashion. Oh, and she referred to Second as a woman."

Putting the crystal back into his robe, Obi-Wan held up a finger. "You're right on all counts, but you're missing something, and it's quite possibly the most important of all."

Holding an elbow with one hand, she used the other to rub her chin and think. She mentally reviewed the conversation more than once, trying to pick up any important detail. Then her mind seemed to start putting the pieces together. That was when Rahna realized it wasn't what had been said, but what the conversation itself had implied. Hand lowering from her chin, Rahna looked to her master.

"What about First, Third, and Fourth?"

"Exactly. The code names seem to indicate a ranking structure of some sort which means..."

"Whoa, we could be dealing with an entire group. Not good."

"No it's not. The Council will need to know about this, but first we have to deal with the Codex situation." It peaked Rahna's curiosity when Obi-Wan didn't meet with the Queen immediately. Instead they went to the landing pad where their shuttles were, and he climbed inside. While working on something that she couldn't see, he asked Rahna to send a message to Queen Organa, informing her that they had the Codex, and that the leaders of the various noble houses needed to be called together so that they could bring this matter to rest.

She did as requested, then returned to the shuttle and waited for him to finish. The only thing that she knew for sure was that he accessed the archives back on Coruscant for some reason. Every time the Jedi encoded a signal, it made a very specific series of beeps. It was easy to recognize if one knew what to listen for. It also came as no surprise when atmospheric shuttles began to descend upon the palace some time later. They were all expensive in design with crests painted on the side. The only one she readily recognized was the silver dragon which represented House Tanaka.

When Obi-Wan climbed down from the shuttle he was stuffing something into his robe. For her part, Rahna wasn't sure what her master planned to do, but would support whatever decision he made. Approaching the palace, they were greeted by a contingent of honor guard that walked them through the brightly lit halls of white marble, making quite a show of things. Being the center of attention like this made Rahna feel uncomfortable, but considering what was at stake here, it made sense Breha would want to make a scene out of this.

The young Jedi tried to see this from the Queen's point of view, and started to understand the importance of what was happening. The situation had nearly spiraled out of control when the Codex was lost. Queen Breha had in turn contacted the Jedi for help in this matter. It was her plan, for the duration of the mission they were representatives of the Queen, and her reputation that was on the line if anything went wrong. The guards stayed outside when they stepped into a large circular meeting room. It was surrounded on three sides by floor to ceiling windows that offered a lovely view of the countryside.

The view wasn't what Rahna was focused on, it was every eye in the room being on them. There were dozens, perhaps a hundred nobles gathered together around the outside of the room. In the center were Bail and Breha, standing next to a wooden table. The nobles were mostly human, with a few other species mixed in, and were decked out in their finest clothing and jewelry. To Rahna it looked like a gold and silver rainbow. Trying to puff herself up a little to look as formal and dignified as possible, she walked to the center of the room with Obi-Wan.

"Your majesties," Obi-Wan said, as they both bowed.

"Master Kenobi, I am to understand that you have the Codex in your possession?" Breha said.

"That's correct." Reaching inside his robe, a holocube was produced and set on the table. It was a palm sized device made of metal and crystal that was used to store information. Similar to a holocron in that it was a data storage medium, it was less sophisticated, and didn't require one to be force sensitive to activate. The nobles walked closer and some of them began to talk amongst themselves, then one stepped away from the crowd. He was an older man in a blue and gold silk shirt and trousers, with a head devoid of hair on top, and a long white beard and mustache.

"How can we be sure that this is the Codex, after all none of us know what it looks like," the man said.

"I can assure you, it is the Codex," Obi-Wan said.

The man started to say something else, only to have Breha cut him off. "Earl Langer, surely you are not suggesting the Jedi would seek to deceive us in this matter."

Rahna could tell that very thing was likely going through his mind, but the Queen had made it clear she would not abide any argument on the matter, so the Earl backed down. When Bail reached down and activated the cube, it displayed a holographic image that was garbled by a cipher... a Jedi cipher. Rahna recognized it immediately, and realized they were doing the very thing that Earl Langer was concerned about. That must have been why Obi-Wan had established a connection with the archive in the fighter. He was downloading and encoding information. She didn't know what he was up to, but there must have been a good reason, so she kept quiet.

"How do we know this is the information we're concerned about? With it encrypted like this, it's impossible to tell what's on there." The speaker was an older woman with short blond hair and a rather loud red dress.

"Baroness, would you prefer I have the information decoded and sorted through to make sure everything is in order?" Breha said. The Baroness pursed her lips, but refrained from saying anything else after that. When Bail held a hand up and snapped his fingers, one of the guards in the room stepped forward. The Prince then took the blaster pistol from the soldier's holster and began to adjust the power setting. This caused everyone else to take several steps back. Bail looked around the room at the nobles who were assembled there, then aimed the pistol at the cube and fired a single round. The holocube was incinerated instantly, leaving a large hole in the table and a black score mark on the floor below. Many of the nobles clapped and seemed content with the idea their secrets were safe once more, though some still looked around suspiciously. They also cast some unfriendly glances in the Jedi's direction, but kept quiet.

With the matter of the Codex settled, Bail and Breha thanked both of them and while the nobles seemed to be socializing with one another after the fact. Obi-Wan said something about needing to inform the Council about the mission, and they made a hasty, but polite, exit. There were quite a few questions going through Rahna's mind, but she waited until they were back on the landing pad before saying anything. Even then she kept her voice low.

"Earl Langer's concerns weren't unfounded were they?"

"No, they weren't. I didn't like dealing with the situation like that, but our conversation with Fifth also confirmed my original suspicion. There's more information on that crystal than just political secrets, and we need to know what it is." Rahna considered the matter and nodded a little, agreeing that this went beyond simple planetary politics. In thinking about the matter, they already knew that Second and Fifth were both force sensitive and well trained in the use of a lightsaber. It only stood the reason that Third and Fourth, if they existed, would be as well. If the Lightsaber Assassin was Second, who was First? That would most likely be the leader of their little group, and someone Rahna would very much like to learn more about.

Meeting Fifth had made this entire situation much more complicated than it had originally been. She had come with Obi-Wan simply to recover a relic, and now they were trying to uncover information on a group of people that could be a potential threat. He gave the Council a brief message to let them know the situation on Alderaan had been handled, but there was more they needed to talk about, in person. On the trip back to Coruscant, Rahna thought about everything that had happened, and tried to put it together in her mind. There was more going on here than she could see, that much was obvious. Who were these people and what were they after? While thinking to herself, Rahna paused long enough to realize she was stroking her chin like Obi-wan did when he was deep in thought. She smiled a little and went back to mulling things through.

The more Rahna thought about it, the more she began to wonder about the assassinations. There was likely some logic to it, but they would need to learn more about Second and Fifth if they were going to uncover their motives. Thinking back to the fight with Fifth, she also remembered the woman didn't use a lightsaber style she was familiar with. It seemed to be custom tailored to her unique size and abilities. Then there was the rather odd fact that no one at Goris' house had been killed. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the headbutt had knocked Obi-Wan senseless to the point Fifth could have killed him, but she didn't. There were just too many unknowns to make any sort of sense out of this right now. Her contemplation was deep enough that she thought about it all the way through the briefing that Obi-Wan gave about the events on Alderaan. In the council chambers she was light years away until Obi-Wan gave her a gentle nudge. Snapping back to reality she looked around at the circle of masters.

"Is there anything else that you wish to add to the report?" Mace said.

"No, nothing else," Rahna said. She continued to think about it on the way down the hall, trying to see if there was anything else that she had missed.

"Your hair's on fire," Obi-Wan said. Without even thinking, Rahna reached up and touched her hair, then everything sunk in and she looked over at him with a mildly annoyed expression.

"I'm just... trying to make sense out of what happened. Fifth changed everything."

"I know, but so far we don't know enough about what they're up to."

"I'm going to the archives to check on something."

"Alright, I need to take this crystal to the Communication's Center to be analyzed." In the archives Rahna began to look up known dark side orders. There were the Sith who had died out nearly 1,000 years ago. The Nightsisters of Dathomir couldn't travel off world without help and usually kept to themselves. The Jedi knew of the existence of the Prophets of the Dark Side, if not their location, but this didn't seem to fit for them. They were a religious order and, surprisingly enough, not prone to excessive violence. Both Bando Gora and the Sorcerers of Tund had been destroyed. Her research stalled rather quickly, leading to a dead end and considerable frustration.

After reading through a small stack of books, she sat there, arms folded, thoroughly stumped on the matter. Nothing about this made any sense to her, and the pieces still weren't fitting together. Her thoughts were disrupted by the sense of a strong presence very close by, and Rahna turned around to see Yoda. He was seated on the small hover chair he normally used, and looking at her with a serene expression.

"Master Yoda?" Rahna said, not sure why he was staring at her.

"Troubled you are," Yoda said. That was something that most Jedi would likely be able to pick up on, and it was quite accurate.

"It... It's nothing really, just some stuff I was mulling over about the mission." She gave Master Yoda a friendly smile and turned back around. The feeling of being watched didn't go away, and after a moment she looked over her shoulder, Yoda was still there, staring at her.

"If you do not share your thoughts, help, others cannot."

"Sorry Master, I just... I didn't think anyone would take me seriously," Rahna said, turning to face him once more.

"Seriously, the concerns of a Jedi should always be taken. Listening, I am."

Still a bit unsure of voicing her concerns, she finally decided to trust Master Yoda. After all he had always taken her seriously in the past when they'd talked. "It's about what happened with Fifth. Whenever I spar with someone at the temple, I can usually tell what lightsaber forms they're using, but her... She was very well trained in using a lightsaber, but it wasn't any form I've ever seen. Master, even the Sith used variations of the seven forms.

Not to mention the code names used, Fifth and Second. What about First, Third, and Fourth? If said individuals do exist, it would stand to reason they're force users as well. That means it doesn't fit Sith doctrine about the Rule of Two. Fifth drew upon the dark side but, she didn't kill anyone during our fight. The planetary security officers, me, or Obi... and she could have. None of this makes any sense, and it has me worried."

"Unknown lightsaber style you say? Interesting, that is. Never be afraid to speak, listen to you, others will, and your concerns, shared they are." When Yoda floated away, it did make Rahna feel a lot better to get that off her chest, and know she wasn't the only one considering the same things.


	14. Chapter XII

The three were nearly to Dehgo's office when Qui-Gon and Argoth felt a surge in the dark side of the Force. They looked at one another, then took off running with Adora trailing right behind them. They ran around a corner seeing a pair of double doors. There was blaster fire coming from inside the office, and they could hear it being deflected by a lightsaber. As they ran, both master and apprentice threw their hands out, unleashing a force push strong enough to knock the wooden doors down and send them sliding into the room.

The office was nicely furnished with shelves, filing cabinets, and a few potted plants, but all attention was on the Duros general seated behind the large wooden desk. There was a lightsaber under his neck, bathing the nearby area in a crimson light. It was held by a small woman in an outfit identical to that of Fifth. The moment Adora saw the woman, she drew a blaster pistol and aimed. Without even looking at her, the Lightsaber Assassin raised a hand, causing the weapon to fly across the room, then threw the same arm forward. Adora was launched back, bouncing off the wall in the hall, and hit the floor in an unconscious heap.

Argoth could feel the dark side of the Force radiating off the masked woman in waves. It was powerful enough that even he could feel the emotions behind it. Hate, anger, rage, it forced him to take a step back. This was the first time Argoth had felt the dark side and it nearly made him wretch. It took a good deal of effort on the part of the padawan, but he was able to shield himself against it, at least temporarily. Both Qui-Gon and Argoth were about to attack, when she stopped them cold with four words.

"End this war, NOW!" The woman spoke with a clipped accent, like someone for whom Basic was not a first language. From the first time Argoth had sensed the disturbance in the force, he had thought that if it was from someone using the Dark Side, they would be behind the conflict, not trying to end it.

"The only way I'll end this war is when every last Talran is dead!" Dehgo said, snarling at the woman.

"Oh?" With her free hand, Second reached over pressing a series of buttons on the desk in front of Dehgo. This brought up a holographic image in a square window, which Qui-Gon and Argoth could see, albeit backwards. It was of a Duros woman and small boy. They were both bound to the wooden chairs they were sitting in. Behind them there was another person dressed like Second. The only thing they could make out was that they appeared quite broad.

"Jursa?" the Duros woman said. "What's going on?" Anyone within eyesight of the situation could see that Dehgo's family was being held hostage. This caused the General to turn a few shades lighter, looking at the screen, then back to Second.

"You monster, let them go! They have nothing to do with this."

"Order all Elltiri troops to withdraw from Talran territory and stand down, only then will your family live. Refuse, and you get to watch them die... slowly." The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a lightsaber as Dehgo glared at Second. There was a moment when Argoth thought he might refuse, even with the lives of his family on the line. When Dehgo finally let out a defeated sigh, the lightsaber was lowered and deactivated as Second stepped back. The image of his family was moved to one side, and with a few more button taps, another comm-line was established.

"This is General Jursa Dehgo. I'm hereby issuing an executive order for all Elltiri forces to withdraw from Talran territory. All Elltiri forces are to stand down and await further orders." Once the order was given and the comm-line terminated, he looked to Second. She in turn walked back to the desk and looked to the display of his family.

"Did you get all that?"

"Loud and clear." When the other person pulled out a knife, everyone except Second started slightly, thinking the worst. The concerns were unfounded and the only thing it was used to do was slice through the ropes binding them. The Duros woman wasted no time in grabbing the child and running.

"Remove the bounty on the Jedi as well." With a few more button taps, Dehgo issued an order to remove the bounties. As he finished, Second ignited her lightsaber a second time, and before Qui-Gon or Argoth had time to react, she brought it up parting Dehgo's head from his shoulders, and sliced through the back of the chair he was sitting in. That was all they needed to see to leap into action. Lightsabers ignited, they took off running as Second dashed back down the side hall she had come from.

The chase lasted until they reached the next room which was considerably larger. They ended up on the stage of a large auditorium that looked as though it was designed for heads of state to make public addresses. Out beyond the stage was row upon row of empty seating, and it was a good thing that no one else was there. Second spun to face her Jedi pursuers, pulled a second lightsaber, and ignited it. Throwing her arms out with the blades held underhand style, she stood there waiting. While his first instinct was to attack, Argoth stopped short, noticing that his master was waiting as well.

The whole of his attention was on Second, and it soon became apparent why. The Dark Side energy flowing through their opponent was coming in waves. Her head twisted to one side, and Argoth wondered what she was doing. The stage floor cracked slightly underfoot, then she came forward with blinding speed, lashing out at both so fast they were forced onto the defensive. She danced between the two of them almost like it was child's play, and was soon on the other side. Her helmet had also split at the mouth, allowing her to breathe more freely. From that he could see black lips, pale skin, and normal teeth that were white.

She flexed, holding both arms out to the side, and began to speak in a language Argoth didn't recognize. The words were short and clipped, and often rasped between bared teeth. This time she walked forward, spinning the blades around making a steady hum, then began to approach faster, and soon they were clashing blades again. Her style was fast and aggressive, pushing both of them back. Qui-Gon did more than defend, striking back a few times, only to be blocked, but it took everything Argoth had to defend himself and stay in one piece.

It wasn't just Dark Side energy that he could sense, the emotions coming from Second were so powerful it was almost overwhelming. A white hot rage burned within her to the point it seemed difficult to control. It drove her to strike with speed and continue an offensive that would have quickly tired most. She spun around, twisting, turning, almost like a dance bringing both blades against her opponent. There was so much anger in her attacks, but it was one Argoth quickly learned wasn't out of control.

Her movement was fast, graceful, and very deadly. If his defense faltered for even a moment, he could be cleaved in two. The Force energy she was drawing in also continued to grow, then Second back flipped away. Before Qui-Gon could say anything, he charged forward, only to soon realize it was a mistake. When she returned to a standing position, the Dark Side drew in suddenly, and leaning forward she let out a scream that would have put a banshee to shame.

The flooring of the stage began to tear loose, the curtains tore, and the wall cracked as the force scream ripped through the auditorium like a shock wave. Argoth was hurled back through the air like a rag doll, and even with his ears covered, the attack brought Qui-Gon to a knee. Smashing through the door at the opposite end of the stage, he laid there dazed and confused. It felt like his brain had just been put through a blender, and his body was jello, jello that was in extreme pain. Joints ached, muscles spasmed, and it was even proving difficult to breathe properly.

This brought about a pause in the battle, as Qui-Gon recovered himself, and Second seemed to be taking a breather as well. When the sound of lightsabers striking against one another reached Argoth's ears, he wanted to help, but his body would barely do more than twitch. The warm iron taste was a sign of a nosebleed as well. It was only when Argoth called upon the Force to help him that some voluntary movement returned. Once he began to do so, the paralysis slowly faded, but he still wouldn't be leaping straight back into the fight.

With considerable effort, he reached out with a hand and called upon the Force again. It was difficult in the beginning, but with effort, he managed to rip a seat free from the front row and hurled it at Second. Still focused on Qui-gon, the makeshift projectile slammed into her halting the offensive as she stumbled to the side. The blow had done little to injure, and wheeling back with a spin, the weapons were held underhand style once more. When the fight resumed, Argoth tried to interrupt with another chair, but to no avail. As it sailed through the air, their opponent waved a hand casually redirecting it toward Qui-gon. He ducked and spun out of the way, coming up lightsaber at the ready. That little tactic was played out now.

"If this is the best the Jedi Order has to offer, you have been found lacking." With his muscles finally starting to recover, Argoth walked back toward the stage where the other two were standing, as was often the case, Qui-gon didn't engage in trash talking during a fight. He was focused on their opponent.

S"Yeah yeah, whatever."S Now ready to once again renew the fight, Argoth stood ready. When they were charged, Second surged forward, then flipped over them cutting her lightsabers off. They both looked up, expecting an attack, only to see that she'd disappeared. There was a ripple in the Force, indicating that she'd done something, but neither Argoth or Qui-gon had ever encountered something like this before. They could still feel her presence in the Force, and used that to give chase.

Second was moving toward the roof quickly, so they began a quick ascent using the stairwell. On the way up, Argoth wasn't sure, but there were a few times he thought he saw a distortion of some sort moving up the stairs above them. He knew this was a force ability designed to fool the senses, but wasn't sure how to effectively counter it. Qui-gon kicked the door to the roof open, and they dashed out, sensing that she was close by. It was closer than they thought, 20 feet in front of them to be exact. Now the distortion was gone, and she could be seen plain as day again.

"Funny, after all these years I never imagined I would see you again, here of all places," Second said, her voice low and smooth.

"Have we met before?" Qui-Gon said.

"I wasn't talking to you." Already preparing to attack that made Argoth hesitate, looking first to Qui-Gon, then her.

"Don't listen to her," Qui-Gon said. "She's just trying to get into your head." They attacked in unison once more, coming in high and low at the same time. Second not only fended them off, she laughed while doing so, as if this were some sort of game to be enjoyed. Leaping over both of them, she flipped backward several times, coming to a stop in a kneeling position with one hand on the roof.

"How does it feel to truly be one of a kind? Tell me little Jedi, have you been feeling hungry lately? Have the cravings been getting worse?" In the middle of charging forward, those questions brought Argoth to a dead stop and once again he looked to Qui-Gon, not sure how to react. Even his master seemed surprised by that, unsure of how to respond. There was no way she could have known about that... unless...

S"What do you know about me? Tell me!"S The only response he received was more laughter, almost haughty in nature. Now Argoth had even more reason to fight than before as she could very well know something about who he was or where he came from, and with a growl he lunged. Second was skilled with a lightsaber and could hold her own against both of them, yet there was one thing she hadn't counted on.

When Qui-Gon began to move in one direction, he moved in the other, trying to get her into a pincer attack. As this happened, Argoth intentionally made his attacks slow and easy to block. The idea was to have her focus on Qui-Gon as the serious threat. She spun back and forth defending and attacking. Second was about to flip out of the pincer attack when Argoth saw his opening. A hand came back and he didn't try to attack it with the lightsaber. That was the main thing most lightsaber combatants followed, the bright color of the blade. Instead he caught her forearm... in his mouth.

It threw her completely off balance, and with an incredible bite force the armor began to twist and dent. He bit, she screamed, and Qui-Gon ended the fight. Knocking the other blade away, his green lightsaber came up to her throat, but stopped short of striking.

"It's over, surrender," Qui-Gon said.

"And just how do you propose to arrest me, when you have your hands full with your padawan." Turning her head to Argoth, Second spoke a single word. "Dochaka." Argoth reeled back with a scream that rivaled the one Second had used. As she had predicted, Qui-Gon's attention shifted to the well-being of his padawan, giving her the chance to escape. It felt as though every nerve-ending in his body lit up all at once. The pain was unbearable, and unable to make it stop, Argoth began to thrash around. Qui-Gon tried to grab him, taking a backhand to the face for his effort.

The pain continued to get worse as it felt like bones were breaking and muscles were tearing. Completely out of control, Argoth let out another shriek, this one growing much deeper in tone. Second had done something to him, but at this point his mind couldn't even comprehend the simplest of things. Thus Argoth did the only thing he knew how, he ran. Dashing across one rooftop after another, the world began to fade in a blur of color that was slowly turning to darkness.


	15. Chapter XIII

The mission to Alderaan had ended nearly five days ago, with both Rahna and Obi-Wan having exhausted what leads they had regarding Second and Fifth. Things seemed to have come to a dead end, and after a time, Rahna had put it out of her mind. There was nothing either of them could accomplish by dwelling on it. With the official report given to the council in hand, she read over it carefully, seated in her personal quarters. This was the third time this morning and there was still something that puzzled her. Obi-Wan had made no mention of her use of the Dark Side to defeat the Rancor.

His official version had simply been that she'd fought and defeated a reanimated corpse. Revealing what had happened could have gotten her into trouble, and when Rahna thought about it, the council likely knew something was amiss. When Mace asked if she had anything else to add, she realized there was more to the question than what one might think. His gaze had been intense, more so than usual, as if he were asking something without directly asking. Her use of the Dark Side had the lingering effect of leaving Rahna shaken and uneasy. It had taken a lot of meditation and focus to recenter herself.

The conversation with Obi-Wan about the incident hadn't been easy either. Largely because of her own guilt over nearly attacking him. As was often the case Obi-Wan had been consoling, but also very adamant that something like that never happen again. Advice about how to avoid such and how to resist the temptation were dispensed as well. Now not even reading the pad in hand, Rahna thought about something else that Obi-Wan had told her. It was how Asja had become his padawan. She'd known how, but the story related something else that Obi-Wan hadn't admitted to her before.

Some years ago he had been on a mission with her Master, Jedi Knight Taza Min. Rahna remembered Taza, but had never talked with her very much. A human woman noted for her skill in diplomacy. Obi-Wan had been without a padawan at the time, and they had traveled to Corellia of all places, one of his first missions as a knight, to settle a dispute that was on the verge of breaking out into a violent conflict. Unfortunately even the skills of the Jedi couldn't say that particular day, and both sides did take up arms.

The three had been caught in the middle, and confronted by a group of soldiers who were angry about their 'meddling' in local affairs. Outnumbered nearly five to one, the trio tried to calm the situation down, only to be attacked. They had managed to defeat the soldiers, and thinking the fight over, lowered their guard. As it turned out, one of the soldiers was still alive and had enough strength left to shoot Taza in the back. The shot pierced the woman's heart, killing her instantly. Not only did Obi-Wan lose someone who had been a dear friend, he did something no Jedi ever should. Seeing his friend die, Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber and struck the guard down in anger.

That was the first time her master had ever spoken of his own brush with the Dark Side. It shocked Rahna because she'd always pictured Obi-Wan as a model Jedi. She realized it was a bit of a childish idolization, but it was still with her to a degree. In the end she had to admit that the capacity for evil existed within everyone. What it all boiled down to was choice, and what impulses or desires someone chose to act upon. Rahna had emotions just like anyone else, but until the encounter with the Rancor, she'd never thought herself capable of such violence. That there was a part of her capable of relishing such destruction was still a frightening realization. It also polarized her determination never to let something like that happen again.

What Master Yoda had warned her of was true, the Dark Side was tempting. Even now she could still hear it trying to whisper in the back of her mind. The power would be so easy to call upon, hers to command, to do with as she pleased. The problem was that it also fed upon emotions like fear, pain, and hate. In order to have that power, she would have to give into those emotions, and become the very thing she detested.

"Where are you Rahna?" Obi-Wan said. Taking the comm-link from her belt, she answered.

"I'm in my quarters, what's up?"

"I just received word the crystal's been decoded, Master Lurma is about to address the council and has requested our presence."

"I'll meet you there." Now Rahna's curiosity began to turn to concern. If Master Lurma had called a council meeting, what she discovered must have been of considerable importance. Wasting no time, he headed toward the spire where the council met, and encountered Obi-Wan along the way. The two exchanged a small glance, but said nothing. Upon entering the council chamber, all of the masters were gathered, along with Lurma, the Jedi the crystal had been turned over to for decryption. They yellow skinned Mirailan woman turned to them and offered a small nod as they walked in.

"Master Kenobi, Rahna, thank you for being so prompt." Lurma was holding a palm sized holo-display in one hand, but had yet to activate it. "The reason I called this meeting is to discuss the contents on the crystal that was recently recovered. However, before I begin, there are some rather interesting technical details I think everyone should be aware of."

With the click of a button, the hand held display activated, showing a holographic image of the Codex crystal. It was then magnified considerably, to bring into focus the small filaments that Rahna had noticed inside the mansion. The image was magnified again, over 100 times larger, and that was when she blinked in surprise. The filaments looked like tiny computers.

"Is that a computer?" Shaak Ti said, leaning forward for a closer look.

"No, it's a network of computers. This isn't a simple data crystal like I first thought, it's an entire archive containing more than fifteen times the information capacity of a normal crystal. I also discovered that it's artifical in nature." That alone was shocking to Rahna, because she'd never heard of technology this small or complex before.

"Who would be capable of producing something like this?" Plo Koon said. Now all attention was on the woman in the center of the room. With one short explanation, Lurma was now speaking before a captive audience.

"To my knowledge, no one. This is more advanced than anything I've ever seen, let alone anything we have. I also didn't find any indication of where it was produced."

"What did you discover on the crystal?" Mace said. Manipulating the display, Lurma switched it and expanded the view to show a number of muted video clips, and what appeared to be documents, all from Alderaan.

"The first thing I discovered was the information placed within the archive by Governor Tasid. The encryption wasn't that hard to break, and as Master Kenobi indicated, it's the dirty political laundry of the noble houses on Alderaan. Back room deals, scheming, the usual planetary politicking, though nothing we really need to be concerned with. It was what I found under that.

Tasid's little additions were only a drop in the bucket. He also tried, and failed repeatedly, to crack the encryption on the second archive. This comes as no surprise as it took the work of myself, an entire team, and most of the resources in the communication center to crack this over the course of two days."

With that said, Lurma took the small display and placed it on the floor. Stepping back she manipulated the device with a small hand remote and set it to the widest possible display. Instead of saying anything else, she let the information speak for itself. With the press of a button, the display began to fill the room with video clips, information files, and profiles... all of the Jedi. Had this been a cartoon, it was at this point Rahna's jaw would have hit the floor with a resounding clang. This revelation was enough to bring several of the masters up out of their seats.

This wasn't a few reports, or some simple clips. It was highly detailed information about the Jedi Order, it's members, missions, the ships they owned, configuration, armament, a great many things that could potentially be used against them. That was when Lurma opened the profile on Mace Windu. It contained numerous pictures, statistical information such as height, weight, eye and hair color, comments that he preferred use of the Form VII lightsaber style, and more. There was also a detailed list of numerous missions that he'd undertaken, as well as reports, and even some video clips of him during said outings. Mace wasn't pleased to say the least.

As the masters stepped closer, Lumra brought up the profiles of each on of them, and moved it closer for them to inspect. Then she turned to face Rahna, and played a video clip of her standing with the other Jedi outside the transport on Corellia. It was the day they had recruited her, and someone had taken the video from some distance before zooming in.

"How... how is this possible?" Obi-Wan said.

"I think the more important question is who gathered this information." Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

"As to who, I can't say, but after pouring over the information with the rest of the team, there is one thing I've determined. It didn't come from within. There's no information, pictures, or reports about the temple interior, and some of the mission reports are missing details from times when it would be impossible to gather information without being noticed."

"How many members of the order have been monitored like this?" Mace said.

"All of them." After that a silence fell over the room, and Rahna felt her heart catch in her throat. Someone was gathering incredibly detailed information about the Jedi Order, and had managed to do so without being noticed. That would have taken a lot a time, manpower, and resources. As she looked around at the Jedi Masters, it was easy to see the concern on all of their faces. No one was speaking, which in many ways worried her even more.

"How long have we been spied on like this?" Rahna said.

"The first report was filed just over a decade ago." There was another silence, only now the masters were looking at one another, seemingly at a loss for words. There were so many questions this revelation raised, it was hard to know where to begin. Who had gathered this information and why? What were their intentions? With this kind of observation, it was obvious someone had intentions, and if done in secret it didn't seem likely their motives were begnine.

"Who is behind this mystery, learn, we must." Yoda said.

"While I don't know who, I have an idea of where," Lurma said. "I managed to reconstruct the transmission codes on a number of the reports, all of which were routed through a communication relay on Ryloth."

"To where?" Shaak Ti said.

"Your guess is as good as mine, they all went out into Wild Space." There was little more to be said after that, and the council dismissed them to further discuss the matter. There was no doubt in her mind now that Fifth was up to something, and Second was most likely involved as well. Why were they gathering the information, what were they planning, and what was their next move. They needed to know more, but for right now there was nothing else to do. That alone was driving Rahna crazy. As she walked down the hall next to Obi-Wan, the padawan wanted to jump into a ship, head out to Ryloth, and try to find some answers.

Rahna also didn't need to ask how Tasid was corrupted, because she knew. Before turning the crystal in, Obi-wan had let her hold it for a closer look. In doing so she could feel that it was suffused with Dark Side energy. It wasn't enough that it would pose a problem to one trained in the Force, like a Jedi for instance. Yet to a person who wasn't force sensitive, it could begin to slowly bring their baser instincts to the surface. That coupled with the fact that politicians weren't exactly known for being pillars of morality in the first place.

"I'm going to go nuts, and please don't tell me about the virtues of patience. I'll be patient later, I want answers now."

"I'm not feeling particularly virtuous myself." Rahna could tell that Obi-Wan was as disturbed by this as she was, then he stopped dead in his tracks. Staring at a lot of nothing, she could see the gears turning in his head. Instead of saying anything she stood in front of him, waiting. He would speak when all of the pieces fell into place, and when their eyes met, he smiled. Rahna already liked what he was going to say, before even hearing it. "If someone who was force sensitive had spent a decade spying on the Jedi, they likely would have been noticed by now."

"Meaning they used outside contractors."

"Local contractors?" Now at a near run, the two of them headed for the vehicle garage on the roof of the temple. Five minutes later they were soaring through the orange evening skies of Corscant, though it soon turned darker. Passing the thick lines of speeder traffic, they descended into the lower levels of the city. There were too many places to even list where one could find 'seedy characters', so it was really a matter of just picking somewhere. Rahna had no doubt that Obi-wan knew where they were going, but she didn't. This was going to be the padawan's first trip to the planet's underworld, but with her master close by, there was little concern on her part. Now it was more curiosity than anything else.

The speeder came to a stop on a platform that was among buildings that were something of a contradiction. They were dark and dingy, yet boasted bright neon signs. The people here were far less affluent than those on the higher levels, and many had subtle but visible bulges in their clothing were weapons were only partly concealed. While not the ground levels, it was still a far cry from the temple. The platforms above also blocked the sun, leaving only artificial lighting to pierce the gloom that surrounded them. There were large crowds of people walking about and Rahna had no doubt they included pickpockets, so she locked the lightsaber clip around her belt loop as it was the only thing of value she carried.

Their destination was an establishment called the Outlander Club. As they moved through the large open doorway they came to a bar area thick with patrons that were out to enjoy themselves. They were drinking, dancing, seated at tables scattered about, and others were at the bar. The lighting was low, but not dim, and a synthetic beat pulsed from overhead speakers. The air smelled of alcohol and death sticks. There were too many conversations to pick out one in particular, punctuated by laughter, though none of it was of interest to the mission at hand.

Instead of going to the bar, Obi-Wan tapped Rahna on the shoulder and pointed to a booth against the wall. Seated alone was a middle aged human man who looked like a criminal to her. Busy eating a large steak, what hair remained was combed over in a poor attempt to cover his balding head, his suit was cheap and stained, and his shirt was improperly buttoned causing the left side of his collar to rise higher than the right. His jowled face was busy chewing away as a pair of beady eyes shifted about. The man's whole appearance and demeanor was that of someone who had a shoulder that was constantly looked over.

She followed Obi-wan to the booth where he sat down and scooted over, leaving just enough room for her. The man immediately stopped eating and looked at both of them, eyes widening, yet he didn't move. He was already getting nervous just looking at them, as the only people on Coruscant who didn't recognize the robes were the dead. The man seemed more focused on her than Obi-Wan, likely as an unknown. Rahna already had an idea of how she was going to play this, and glared at the man, trying to appear as menacing as possible.

"What- what do 'you' want?"

"Did you really think we wouldn't find out?" Obi-Wan said, relaxing in his seat. The man started to look around nervously, his eyes shifting from side to side. That was when Rahna kneed the underside of the table causing him to jump slightly.

"My master asked you a question."

"I don't know anything!" Instead of saying anything else, Obi-Wan began to quietly stroke his beard and just watched the man. When he started to shift closer to the edge of the booth, Rahna put a hand on the side of the table, bringing him to a stop.

"Make a move, I dare you."

"Rahna, calm down. You don't want to go in front of the council again, especially after that arm incident last week." Rahna shrank back a little, seemingly deflated.

"They'll grow back..." After that Obi-Wan leaned forward resting his elbows on the table, and continued to stare at the man.

"Look I'm serious, I don't know anything. I just sell stuff I find laying around." That was a round about way of saying that he fenced stolen goods.

"We know you know information brokers, and I think you know who I'm looking for." At that the man went pale and tried to back into the booth. Rahna was still glaring, but didn't do anything else, knowing that Obi-Wan had struck a nerve. The man appeared on the verge of jumping out of his clothes, and tugged at his shirt collar.

"Look, all I know is Vek and his entire network went dark yesterday. That's it!" This time he did stand up, took a few steps away, and turned to face them. "Oh yeah, you can go jump off a platform for all I care!"

The little public display of defiance was to be expected, for the sake of appearances, and they let him go after that. A broker named Vek had disappeared, or gone dark, along with his associates. Considering the crystal had been in their possession for only a few days, the timing was rather convenient. She stood up and waited for Obi-Wan to scoot his way out. As her master walked toward the exit, a woman approached. She was scantly clad in a pink top, skirt, and matching boots, with short blonde hair and a pleasant face.

"Excuse me young lady, are you a Jedi?"

"Yes?" The woman didn't appear to have any hostile intent, and her clothing, or near lack of, left little in terms of places to hide weapons. Never the less, Rahna was rather suspicious, in part from the way the woman was looking at her.

"Judging from your age, a padawan perhaps?"

"What's that got to do with the price of comlinks?" Now having no clue as to why the woman had any interest in her occupation, the conversation was starting to take an uncomfortable personal direction. The personal part only got worse when the woman put a hand on her shoulder.

"I've found the Jedi to be so... cloistered. I thought perhaps a padawan might be a little more open-minded? I've never had the pleasure of their company." Leaning closer the woman smiled sweetly. "I've got a nice private little room down stairs if you're interested. Just the two of us?"

In a split second, Rahna's eyes widened and she went from annoyed to stiff as a board. Still rigid, she started to quickly walk toward the door where Obi-wan was standing and watching. "Obi!"

On the walk back to the speeder, neither of them said anything. Obi-wan no doubt got the gist of the little encounter from her reaction, which in some ways had been more disturbing than their fight with Fifth. She'd never even kissed anyone, at least on the mouth, let alone kept them 'company'. Rahna knew there were people in the galaxy like that, but it wasn't something that had ever crossed her mind. Not to mention at only 13, it was also illegal.

As they flew back to the temple, the thought of the woman fell by the wayside as Rahna began to consider the subject in general. The first time she'd even taken notice of a male in terms of attractiveness she was 12. It didn't even involve anymore than that at the time either, she just thought he was rather handsome. The physical desires didn't start until about six months ago, but it was something that Rahna had never done much about. She had too many other concerns to deal with. While thinking it over, she also had to admit, they were getting stronger. More than a few times her mind drifted in the direction of a handsome young male, and some thoughts even drifted into more... intimate areas.

The sex education class at the temple, specifically for younglings her age, had explained the subject in detail. Not in an explicit manner of course, but they did cover subjects like reproduction, one of the few classes that was species segregated, along with what to expect in terms of mental and physical development. It also warned of the dangers of immature younglings experimenting in this regard. Such activities could result in developing feelings of attachment, and as such were heavily discouraged. She also thought about how the code did forbid attachment and marriage, but it didn't technically say a Jedi couldn't have sex. It wasn't something openly talked about though. She'd heard of some Jedi that did indulge on occasion, though there were also those who were celibate.

It was something Rahna found to be aggravating, the physical side. There were times she would try to concentrate on something, but the images of young males and urges were very distracting. To make matters worse she enjoyed it to a degree. Overall it was annoying, interesting, and confusing. With a bit of a sigh, Rahna found puberty to be a thorough pain in the backside. It was also a subject she was a little reluctant to talk about. Never the less a master was supposed to be the one person a padawan could turn to in order to discuss anything.

"Master, can I ask a personal question?"

"Of course."

"How old were you when you first started to notice... females?" As soon as she asked, Rahna blushed a little and looked away.

"I was 14." Still annoyed by the matter, she finally just blurted the whole thing out.

"By the Force it's a pain in the butt. I'll be trying to work on my studies, or train, and I keep thinking about males. I don't even want to, but I do. I don't like it, but I do. Grraaah! It makes me want to tear my hair out sometimes." As the speeder slowed to a stop on an even lower level of the city, this one without the bright neon signs, Obi-wan cut the engine.

"What you're feeling is a natural part of growing up. You're becoming a young woman and these desires are natural. Just like you were taught to control your emotions, you'll have to learn to control your desires." There was something else she wanted to ask, but almost couldn't bring herself to. Looking around as if worried that someone might overhear them, she leaned closer to Obi-wan.

"Is it... fun?" Now it was Obi-wan's turn to appear a little uneasy.

"It can be, but you're still far to young for things like that and we have an investigation to focus on."

"Of course," Rahna said, immediately straightening up as the subject changed.


	16. Chapter XIV

There was only darkness at first, then tiny flashes. Fragmented images, smells, sounds that seemed disconnected. It was as if Argoth were part of some surreal waking dream. His mind was cloaked in darkness, sluggish, yet he could feel movement... he was moving. There was a part of Argoth that only wanted to sleep, to give into what he was feeling, yet he knew if that happened, he would be lost. The Jedi would slip down into the darkness and Argoth would cease to exist.

He tried to fight through the fog that was clouding his mind, keeping him from thinking or acting. The darkness didn't want to give way. The more he fought against it, the more it fought back. Argoth could feel himself sinking further down into the abyss. What few sensations could be felt, started to grow weaker, and he began to panic. He couldn't lose this fight, if he did, he would lose himself. Argoth began trying to fight even harder, and sank even faster. Something was terribly wrong, why couldn't he control himself, why couldn't he assert his mind over his body?

How could he win a battle if he couldn't even fight back? He was a Jedi, they were in control of themselves more often than nearly anyone else, that was what it meant to be a Jedi. There had to be something he was missing. That was when he remembered what Qui-Gon had told him over and over again since they had become master and padawan, mind the present. Instead of thrashing and fighting, he stopped. There on the precipice between consciousness and the void that lay beyond, he focused on trying to understand the situation, and what was happening.

Then he heard a thud, followed by another, and another. At first he couldn't tell what it was, but focusing on that he tried to draw it closer, to feel it, to understand it. It began to sound more rapidly, and as the noise grew louder Argoth realized it wasn't a single sound, but two. They were so closely intertwined as to be almost indistinguishable... it was a heartbeat, his heartbeat. It was coming so fast now, and in his mind Argoth could see the organ beating fast, it was so fast, but why?

What was driving his heart like this. Reaching out he touched the beating heart, letting his mind flow into it, through it, and slowly throughout his body. He was on all fours, limbs pumping, lungs burning, he was running! Why, where... so fast, Argoth was running like the wind itself. That was when he realized why he couldn't control himself, why fighting against the darkness caused him to sink deeper into it. His body was on autopilot, running on pure instinct. It was raw, untamed emotion, the very anathema of what it meant to be a Jedi. Panic and fear only fed into that making it even stronger.

As he had done at the hospital, Argoth began to recite the Jedi code, then focused on a single line, 'there is no emotion, only peace'. He repeated it over and over again, trying to draw in his emotions and reign control over them. As he did the darkness faded, and he began to rise, higher and higher. All at once everything snapped into focus with crystal clarity, Argoth was in the driver's seat of his body again. The sudden reality shift was so disorienting that he just stopped, mid-run. With all the built up momentum, he chin slammed the ground, and completed two full tumbles before sliding to a stop.

"Ouch." Pushing up into a sitting position, Argoth rubbed his head, and the hand slid up the length of one of his horns. Near the top he stopped, then patted it confusingly. He had horns, but they were only tiny stubs. The other hand shot up finding a second horn on the other side, just as long as the first. None of this made... any... sense. As Argoth brought his hands down, the sight of them nearly made him jump. The hands were huge, and they were connected to thick wrists, and large arms. In looking down the padawan was greeted by a pair of long muscular legs that were even larger than his arms. What in the name of the Force had happened to him?

In feeling his body, Argoth could tell that everything was larger, his chest, even his abs... he had abs! As this new reality started to set in, he finally noticed the blood spattered all over his hands and body. It was still fresh, mixed with dirt and bits of plant matter from all the running, he was a mess. Trying to think back to what happened Argoth remembered the office, Dehgo, the assassin, and the fight in the auditorium. She had said something to him, toe tacks, or some other nonsensical word like that, and he had gone completely berserk. Qui-Gon had tried to grab him, then... Argoth gasped and looked down at his hands. The blood, it couldn't be...

He quickly shook his head, Master Jinn had been forced to let go after the backhand to the face. The blood belonged to someone or something else. Trying to remember anything past the point of going totally bonzo was difficult at best. It was fragmented into smells, sounds, and half-images. He did vaguely recall hearing the sound of a wild animal shrieking, then let out a belch loud enough to shake the nearby tree branches. On that note Argoth also realized he wasn't hungry anymore. Taking stock of his surroundings, the padawan saw that he was in a forest, but where, he had no idea. There were tall, leafing green trees in every direction, their large branches reaching up toward the mid-day sun. It broke through the canopy in small beams of light, and the surrounding area was quite peaceful.

Argoth stood up and started to tip forward, then his tail shot straight back as an instinctive counterbalance. With a single step he managed to stay upright, and realized the ground was a lot further away than it used to be. Mentally grumbling about the sudden balance shift that would require some getting used to, he took several more experimental steps. He hadn't lost the ability to walk, but balance was about shot for the time being. Qui-Gon would no doubt be looking for him. Eyes closed, Argoth reached out to the Force to find his master... and found nothing. It wasn't that his master's presence was gone, everything was.

The grass, trees, animals, he couldn't feel anything. As he had done countless times before, Argoth threw his hand out toward one of the trees, yet nothing happened. He tried again, and again, and again, calling for the Force to aid him, but it would not answer. A feeling of emptiness began to well up inside of him, a sense of loss that only grew by the moment. The Force was something he had known and felt since birth, as much a sense and sight, hearing, smell, or any other, and now it was gone. How could this have happened? To make matters worse, he had no idea where he was.

Before despair could start to set in, he heard something in the distance. At first it was too distant to make out. Leaning on a tree with a hand, his head turn to one side as it drew closer, he realized it was the sound of blaster fire. Stumbling forward a few steps, Argoth finally found his feet, or hooves as it were, and took off running. One didn't have to be a jedi master to figure out what was going on. In the aftermath of him going berserk Qui-Gon would have come after him, but from the sound of things he had company, and it wasn't of the friendly variety.

Slapping branches aside, and ignoring the thorns that reached out for his legs, Argoth continued to move in the direction of the sound. They were some distance away and he could hear the sound of a lightsaber deflecting bolts. From the amount of blaster fire, it sounded as though Qui-Gon was considerably outnumbered, and using the forest trees to try to maintain a tactical advantage. The forest was moving downward now, granting him even more speed, and ripping through a thicket of bushes as he ran a group of soldiers came into view. Not even trying to slow down he barreled through them like a wrecking ball, sending bodies flying in every direction. Skidding to a stop, he turned to face them.

[img] . [/img]

Of the dozen soldiers that had been standing there before, only five remained. The others were scattered about on the ground and unmoving. Out of the corner of his eye, there was a green lightsaber blade behind a tree, but his attention was focused on the soldiers. The soldiers would regret raising a weapon to his master. They in turn were looking at Argoth, not sure how to react. They had no doubt heard the other Jedi was a small, five foot tall creature, not that which stood before them now. The war was over, and the bounties had been rescinded, that they would attack Qui-Gon anyway, only made him all the more angry. That anger continued to build until he finally threw both arms out, and unleashed a bellicose roar. His body shaking from the strain.

[roar]

Now on all fours, Argoth lunged up the hill as the soldiers let out a cry and began to fire frantically. Their shots were erratic, but one did strike him in the arm. Not even slowing down he was upon them in an instant. The first to take a fist to the chest went flying back as armor gave way to the sound of breaking bone, and without plan or reason Argoth lashed out, laying them low almost effortlessly, but he wasn't even close to finished. There were more who would pay for attacking them, more fools eager to throw their lives away.

They were scattered throughout the forest in small groups, but with Argoth taking the offensive, Qui-Gon soon did the same as well. The soldiers were like rag dolls as he ripped limbs free with arm and teeth, crushed helmets beneath his hooves, and their numbers fell as fast as they did. This newfound power was something that Argoth liked, watching soldiers flee in terror. They were so small and slow, so pitiful. Leaping through the air, he slammed one soldier to the ground from behind and wrapped a hand around his helmet. The man struggled briefly, but with a squeeze of his hand, there was a small pop as he went limp.

"Argoth!" The sound of Qui-Gon's voice brought him around as he was about to pursue the few fleeing soldiers that remained. The thrill of battle, the smell of fear and blood, it still coursed through his veins and he wanted more. More soldiers, more blood, more death. His chest heaved from the heavy breathing, and he growled deeply looking at his master. His body wanted to attack, leap into action and tear the man limb from limb, but his mind wasn't so far gone as to consider trying it. He was also torn, a part of him enjoying what he had become, and another knowing that this was wrong. Jedi didn't enjoy pain and death, or think of others as pitiful. There was still so much aggression coursing through his mind, that Argoth needed to release it. The battle was over, so it was time to calm down.

The last one to face his wrath was a nearby tree. By the time he was done punching, kicking, claw slashing, and headbutting it, nearly half the trunk was gone. As he began to calm down, there was a small pop, followed by a loud groan, and the wounded wood fell away from Argoth, slamming into the ground. His body was still tense, his mind ready to attack, but the deep breaths were slowly pushing those desires down. Looking at himself, Argoth also noticed he had been shot three different times. Once in the left thigh, as well as the right bicep and breast.

They had burned through the skin and into the muscle, but stopped there. None of them had penetrated further than that. It would seem there were more to his changes than met the eye. There were however other things that didn't change. As the adrenaline wore off, he started to grow tired, and the blaster wounds were extremely painful. Unfortunately for Argoth, his nerve endings worked just fine. Taking a knee from the pain, he looked over as Qui-Gon approached. The Jedi Master seemed to be taking in the new measure of his padawan.

"Are you alright?"

S"I was shot three times, what do you think?"S With a bit of effort, he stood again, and for the first time since meeting Qui-Gon Jinn, Argoth looked down at him. That was no small feat either, as his master stood 6'4". At a guesstimate, he thought himself to be around 6'7" or so.

"I would ask what happened, but I imagine you know as much as I do."

S"That about sums it up. Why were those soldiers chasing you?"S

"They think we killed General Dehgo." Shoulders slumping, Argoth let out a deep sigh.

S"Did they at least stand down?"S

"Yes, Dehgo's actions left the Elltiri government in disarray, now they're too busy with internal problems to wage a war. I suggest we leave before anymore soldiers show up." With the help of Adora, they were able to return to Talran territory without further incident, and received a hero's welcome. Though not one to bask in the glory of their own actions, Qui-Gon and Argoth did accept a small amount of hospitality. It amounted to a hot meal, bath, a new set of robes, and a good 10 hours of sleep.

The next morning, they politely departed and began the trip back to Coruscant. Before entering hyperspace, Qui-Gon sent a message that the mission was only partly successful. Hostilities had broken out before their arrival, but they were able to bring the war to an end before it spiraled out of control. A full report would be given upon his return. During the rather long and boring trip through hyperspace, Argoth tried to reach out to the Force several more times, but it still eluded him. This was something that he had yet to mention, largely because he was afraid of being kicked out of the order. After all, what good was a Jedi that couldn't use the Force.

With Qui-Gon's starfighter close by, Argoth's mind turned to the person with the red lightsaber they'd fought. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew a great deal about him, possibly even where he'd come from. What he didn't understand was how she'd triggered this change in him. He would no doubt be poked and prodded to no end. Right now he had so many questions, and too few answers. Stabbing a finger onto a button, the activated the ship's communicator.

S"Master, do you have any idea who it was that we fought?"S

"No, but it's obvious now that she knows something about you. We'll need to discuss this with the council when we return." That was something else Argoth wasn't looking forward to. When they got back to the temple there would be a lot of gawking and staring from the other Jedi. Little Argoth had undergone a bit of a growth spurt. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and he took a nap after putting the fighter on autopilot, only waking up when the fighter shuddered lightly upon landing at the temple. With a bit of a grumble and snort, he looked around, then slumped down in the seat of the fighter. Maybe if he stayed there for the rest of his life, everyone would just forget about him.

"Welcome home Argoth!" Rahna said. Or not. Unless otherwise occupied or off planet. The two would often greet each other upon returning to the temple. After all that's what friends did. Instead of being happy the way he normally was, Argoth was mildly annoyed. It wasn't at Rahna, who was just trying to be a good friend, but at this point he just wanted to be left alone. Knowing that wouldn't happen, he finally popped the hatch and climbed out. In the process he stepped on his robe, tripped, and made a grand entrance in a pile of cloth as he fell off the side of the fighter and hit the ground. The fall not only hurt his pride, but also his wounds.

"Ar...goth?" With a loud grumble, he stood up and dusted himself off, then adjusted the robes. He looked down at Rahna who was wide-eyed and slack jawed. This came as no surprise since before leaving, she'd been two inches taller than him. "What happened? You look awesome!"

S"I do?"S

"Yeah, totally." Now feeling a bit better about the change, he gave a mildly toothy grin, and while they walked through the halls of the temple, Argoth told Rahna about everything that had happened during their mission. After he was done, she ran in front, holding both hands out.

"Wait a minute, was this woman a little taller then me, covered in armor, red lightsaber, no chest?"

S"Sounds about right, why?"S

"Crap, I gotta tell Obi about this!" Without so much as explaining why, Rahna took off down the hall, leaving him to wonder what was going on. It would seem the armored woman was involved in more than Argoth realized if Rahna knew something about her. Before their encounter in Dehgo's office, he'd never so much as heard of, or laid eyes on her. Qui-Gon had remained silent the whole time, letting the two of them talk. No doubt going over how he would relay the report to the council.

By the time they reached the top of the spire and the doors opened, the Masters had just arrived and some were still taking their seats. As Argoth expected, all eyes in the room shifted immediately to him. Half way to the center of the room, he tripped over his robe again, and hit the floor knee first. Letting out a growl, he yanked at the robe which was still caught under a hoof, ripping the lower seam. Now thoroughly pissed off, Argoth started to swear, ripped the hem piece loose, then stopped and looked at the council, moving his eyes but not his head. Going from pissed off to embarrassed, he stood, cleared his throat, and waited for Qui-Gon to begin.

His master gave a lengthy report detailing the events of their arrival, and everything that happened once they landed. The council listened intently, some nodding from time to time, but as Argoth suspected from Rahna's reaction, when they got to the part about reaching General Dehgo, and encountering the woman with the red lightsaber, the council's interest definitely picked up. Qui-Gon noticed this as well, and paused in his briefing to look around. Yoda took out a small data pad and accessed the archive, pulling an image of Second in Tasid's office, which had been brought back by Obi-Wan, and turned it toward them.

"Look like this, she did?"

S"That's her, that's the one from Dehgo's office. She's the one that did... this to me!"S Now it was Argoth's turn to explain his side of events, as the path's of he and Qui-Gon had gone separate ways for a time. He told the council everything, including that he didn't remember how he went from rooftop to forest, but left out the part about losing his ability to access the Force. Once finished, the council members looked at one another before speaking.

"It would seem this Second individual has been quite busy, as has Fifth." Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

"Fifth?" Qui-Gon said.

"On a mission to Alderaan, Master Kenobi and Rahna encountered an individual dressed in the same armor as Second, who called herself Fifth. It would appear Second is not working alone." Shaak Ti said.

"It's obvious they're planning something, and we need to know more," Mace said, speaking to the other council members.

"Agree, I do. Passed, the time for deliberation has. Action, we must take."

"Thank you for your report Master Jinn," Mace said. They both gave a nod and turned to leave. "You've not been dismissed padawan." That bought the both of them around again, and Argoth had no idea what was going on. He hadn't done anything out of sorts, except cursing on his way in, and that certainly wasn't something that required a council reprimand to deal with.

S"Is something wrong?"S

"You, Argoth. You said this Second character did this to you with a word. Sounds to me like a subconscious trigger."

S"Meaning what?"S

"Meaning there could be more. How do we know that if you encounter her again, she won't use another word to turn you against other Jedi."

S"That's ridiculous!" Argoth protested. "I would never hurt my fellow Jedi!"S

"You could be a danger and not even realize it. There's no telling what level of control Second might be able to exert over you, even against your will." Ki-Adi-Mundi said. As much as Argoth wanted to argue the matter, he realized they were right. If Second could do something like this to him, there's no telling what else might happen. Now deflated and depressed, he looked over at Qui-Gon who placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What does the council plan to do about the situation with Second and Fifth?" Qui-Gon said.

"While we've not officially decided yet, we are in favor of sending you, along with Master Kenobi and his padawan, to Ryloth to see if you can uncover any information about them. As you have the most recent experience in this matter, it would make sense," Plo Koon said.

"I see," Qui-Gon said. "Then would it not be best to send Argoth as well? If we do discover more about the people we're seeking, or possibly the people themselves, then we could learn more about any other potential problems."

"And what if there are, and Second decides to use them?" Shaak Ti said.

S"Then you haven't got much to worry about, Master Qui-Gon could kick my butt in a real fight. Plus Master Kenobi will be there too."S At that point Argoth then mentally added it would be even easier without a connection to the Force.

"Consider your request, we will." Yoda said. They both bowed a second time, then walked out of the room. While walking down the hall, Argoth looked at Qui-Gon, and thought about the situation. He understood the council's reasons, and even in his mind they were right. He was a security risk, there was no telling what else Second might be able to trigger within him, possibly even turning him against his friends and allies.

S"Master, why did you vouch for me like that? I haven't even been your padawan for a month now, you don't know me that well."S

"I meant what I said, but Second likely knows the truth of who and what you are. If she does you have a right to hear it, because I know it's something that's bothered you for a long time. I also believe that in your heart, you're a Jedi and a good person. I believe in you Argoth, that's why I chose you as my padawan." Having already gained more than a foot in height, Argoth felt 10 foot tall now, knowing that Qui-Gon believed in him. It was a sorely needed confidence booster that came at just the right time. Head high, and chest out, the wonderful feeling didn't last long.

"Now, let's go to the medical bay and try to figure out what's happened with you physically."

S"Crap!"S The medical staff had always been curious about Argoth because of his unique nature, and weren't shy about poking or prodding. It was the poking part he particularly hated, having never been fond of needles. The medical bay was a large and sterile room, with skylights that kept it brightly lit during the day. The walls were lined with beds which had vitals monitors over top of them, and there was a wide variety of medical equipment neatly arranged in the room. It included over a dozen state of the art bacta tanks.

They didn't have to wait long for someone to approach, and it was a Jedi that Argoth was rather fond of. It was Master Raggara, the only Wookiee currently serving as a Jedi, due to force sensitivity being rare among their species. Also the only person who spoke Shryiiwook as a first language. Reaching into a stand by the bed as Argoth pulled his robe down, and revealed the thigh wound, Raggara took out some basic diagnostic tools housed in a small plastic case. The only thing Argoth recognized was the thermometer.

S"Alright, so what do we- the blazes happened to you?!"S

S"Hit a slight growth spurt."S Raggara blinked several times, then went about taking care of the basics, temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate. Once that was done, the questions came next.

S"How did this happen?"S Taking time to explain the situation, only pausing to grunt as the wounds were sprayed with sterilizer, he laid everything out as Raggara tended to the wounds with bacta patches. Almost immediately the pain faded, and Argoth let out a small sigh of relief.

S"How do you feel?"S

S"Like I got shot by a blaster rifle three times."S

S"A right comedian you are today. Besides the wounds?"S

S"Well, aside from not being constantly hungry anymore, like I did before, only bigger."S

"And more aggressive," Qui-Gon said. That was something that Argoth had almost forgotten about, but his master was right. During the fight with the soldiers, Argoth had wanted to hurt and kill them, in a very unJedi fashion. Though not eager to admit that, it wouldn't do him any good to lie about it, as Raggara would be trying to discover as much as possible about what was going on.

S"Is this the part where you get stabby?S

S"Oh yeah."S When Raggara took out a hypodermic needle, Argoth wanted to growl at him, but the Wookiee would probably just growl back and tell him to suck it up like a big boy. The poking was rather extensive too, including blood, spinal fluid which did get a growl, urine, skin, and tissue samples, and a litany of medical questions. By the time he was released from the medical bay, Argoth once again felt like quite a lab rat.

"Qui-Gon, are you busy?" Obi-Wan said.

"Argoth and I were just heading to the refectory for lunch." Qui-Gon said, using his comlink.

"Good, Rahna and I will meet you there, we've got a lot to discuss."


	17. Chapter XV

In the temple refectory, a large open room with beautiful arched windows along one wall, and holo-displays showing galactic news galaxy wide on the other three, the four Jedi had their meeting over lunch. Argoth was displaying his power eating skills, having nearly cleared his third plate before the conversation began. He practically ate his weight in food before the change, now Rahna was starting to think the kitchen might have to call for reinforcements

"Alright, let's review what we know so far. We're dealing with at least five individuals, but only three have been seen, and two named, Second and Fifth. We know without a doubt that Second has killed at least two people, and Fifth has spent a lot of time and resources spying on the Jedi. Last, but certainly not least, is Argoth. What does all of this add up to?"

"Deep trouble." Rahna said. "They're up to no good, I can feel it." The reference was metaphorical as opposed to any actual sense that she had. Ever since encountering Fifth, things had gone from bad to worse. After finding out what was on the crystal, it jumped straight to 'oh crap'.

"I've tried to meditate on it, but I can't sense anything about them. Every time I look into the future my visions become clouded, hard to make sense out of," Qui-gon said.

S"What did you feel Master?"S

"Danger, but without any hate or malice, despite our encounter with Second." There was no doubt about that in Rahna's mind. Fifth had already proven how dangerous her group could be, yet she felt that Master Jinn was right. There didn't seem to be any hate or malice, at least not on the part of Fifth. More than anything it felt like she was just doing a job and they had crossed paths at the wrong time.

"I don't doubt for a minute they're planning something, and I'll bet my last credit it's big," Rahna said.

"You don't have any credits," Obi-Wan said. To that she merely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Never the less I have to agree with Rahna. After seeing what was on that crystal, it would be hard to believe they weren't planning something against the order. We need to find out what, and put a stop to it," Obi-Wan said.

"We also need to bare in mind that the foes we face are extremely dangerous. Second was trained well enough to hold her own against both of us in battle, and utilized a force technique I've never seen before," Qui-Gon said.

S"And known ones in new ways. I've never heard of a force scream being used voluntarily before, but she directed that thing like a hurricane."S

"Tell me about it, Fifth walked all over me, literally. She slammed me into the ground and then stepped on me!" Rahna said.

S"Obi-Wan and his padawan Doormat. Has a nice ring to it."S

"Shut up butthead!"

"Now now children," Obi-Wan said. Thinking things over, something occurred to Rahna. Something that she didn't like one bit. The idea scared her, but it was one that she had to voice.

"Master, what if the Sith didn't die 1,000 years ago, and they've abandoned the Rule of Two?" That brought a silence to the little group as everyone looked at one another. It scared Rahna because the last thing she wanted to potentially face was a resurgent Sith Empire. From what she'd read in history, every time there was a Sith Empire, it inevitably pulled the Jedi and the Republic into a devastating war.

"Let's not jump to conclusions before we know more." The hand that Obi-Wan put on her shoulder was meant to comfort, but from the tiny undertone in his voice, Rahna knew the idea had concerned him too. Before they had a chance to continue, a male Zabrak Jedi walked up to them, and leaned down placing a hand on Qui-Gon's back.

"Master Jinn, the Council has approved the mission to Ryloth. They would like you to depart as soon as everyone is ready."

"Argoth?"

"Him as well." After the Jedi left, there was another round of silent glances as everyone thought about what had been said, and what was to come. That was when Qui-Gon stood up.

"It looks like we're going to Ryloth." Instead of taking starfighters on this outing, the quartet opted for a small transport shuttle. Rahna had always referred to the XE-200 as the lawn dart, because that was what it looked like to her. It was a small tube shaped craft with two fins on either side of the back, large enough for a half dozen people. Argoth had also gotten a lightclub from the temple armory, basically a big lightsaber designed for larger species, due to the lack of time to build another one. While walking up the side ramp of the shuttle, she mused aloud.

"Master, do you think the person that designed the XE-200 was fond of lawn darts?"

"What?"

"Never mind." She took a seat in the back, as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sat up front preparing the shuttle for take off. Instead of sitting beside her as expected, Argoth walked into the rear compartment and closed the door behind him. While a bit unexpected, Rahna imagined that with everything he was experiencing, her friend likely wanted some alone time to sort himself out. That in itself didn't seem like a bad idea, and crossing her legs, Rahna began to meditate. Her goal wasn't to sense anything in particular she just wanted to sort her emotions out, and put them into nice little boxes.

Rahna didn't make it a habit of repressing her emotions, because that was just a disaster looking for a place to happen. There was a time and place for such things, but right now was neither. For once, Qui-Gon seemed to be in a chatty mood, as he and Obi-Wan were discussing something up front, even having a chuckle, but she paid them no mind. Right now Rahna was focused on clearing her mind and controlling her emotions for the time being. Only her second mission as a padawan, she was already out of the frying pan and into the fire.

They were already in hyperspace when Rahna's meditation was interrupted, but it wasn't from the front of the shuttle, but the back. The feeling was very tiny, but unmistakable. Argoth was in pain and trying to suppress it. He was almost successful, but she could still feel it. Neither Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan seemed to notice this, and it certainly wasn't due to proximity. Perhaps it was Rahna having known Argoth longer than either of them. Walking to the rear compartment, she opened the door without even knocking. Rahna was more concerned about her friend than being courteous at the moment.

S"Go away."S With his back to her, Argoth was seated like he was meditating, but she could tell he was too upset to even try. Walking around in front of him, the last thing Rahna expected was to see tears running down his face. S"You don't listen very well."S

"Yeah well, sometimes being a friend means NOT listening to them. What's wrong Argy?" The mention of Argy made him growl a little. It was a nickname Rahna gave him not long after they met, because she couldn't pronounce Argoth very well as a child. It was meant as an attempt at levity, but was received poorly. "Come on buddy, it's me Rhonda, remember?"

That did get a small laugh from Argoth, being how Rahna came out the first time he tried to say it in Basic. He cast a few furtive glances at her, then slumped his shoulders and let out a sigh.

S"I'm scared."S

"Bantha chips, you're the bravest person I know. I mean stupid brave sometimes."

S"Stupid brave?"S

"Well, you did charge a dozen droidekas in the training simulator that one time." Argoth nodded a little, conceding her point on that. "Is it because of the change?"

S"That's part of it."S When Rahna put a hand on his shoulder, he finally told her. S"After I changed, I attacked some soldiers who were after Master Jinn, but I..."S

"It's okay, tell me."

Mouth open as if to speak, Argoth's words left him and tears began to flow down his face. His control was beginning to falter, so Rahna did what she could to help mask his feeling so their masters wouldn't sense them. If Argoth wanted to talk to Qui-Gon about this, she doubted she would be the one in the room. S"I didn't just attack them, I... I ripped them apart like an animal, and I liked it. The last one I killed was even trying to run away, I murdered him. I swore to defend the lives of others and I killed them like a wild animal. What's wrong with me?!"S

Completely breaking down after that, Rahna hugged her friend. "It's not you're fault Argoth, you're a good person. Second did this to you and one way or another, she'll face justice for it."

S"That's not all."S Tears still streaming down his face, Argoth leaned back and threw his hand out. Again nothing happened.

"What are you doing?"

S"It's not what I'm doing, it's what I'm not doing."S Once it clicked in her mind, Rahna let out a gasp and looked at him.

"You mean you can't..."

S"No, not since I changed."S

"Have you told Master Jinn?"

S"No! You can't either, please!"S Nearly shaken into a case of whiplash when Argoth grabbed her arms, she waited for the room to stop spinning, then blinked a few times.

"Why not, he might be able to help."

S"Because, he'll have to tell the Council. The Jedi are all I've ever been, all I've ever known. What if the Council..."S Now Rahna understood why he was so afraid. To make matters worse she didn't know if he would actually be expelled from the order or not. Argoth was almost to the point of despair, and Rahna wasn't sure what to do, except...

"Look on the bright side, it could be worse."

S"How could this possibly get any worse?"S

"You could have gotten shorter and ended up as a footstool for Master Yoda." Getting a sour 'really?' expression from Argoth, she gave a sheepish grin, then reached out trying to tug the corner of his mouth up with her fingers.

S"You think this is something to laugh about?"S

"Oh come on, I was just trying to-" She stopped short seeing Argoth hold both hands up like claws.

S"I'll give you something to laugh about Red."S

"Nonononono, don't you DARE!" Grabbing Rahna by the sides he began to tickle, causing her to burst out into fits of hysterical laughter and kick her feet. That came to an end when the door opened and Obi-Wan leaned inside.

"What in the world are the two of you up to back here?"

S"She tried to make me laugh, so I'm tickling the Force out of her."S

"You vicious brute, you beast, help Master, help!" When she started slapping at Argoth, Obi-Wan laughed and shook his head.

"So tell me, what do you two want to be when you grow up?"

S"Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean I have to grow up!"S

"You tell'em Argoth!" Obi-Wan laughed some more, and walked back toward the front, after which they both sat on the bench against the wall in the middle of the shuttle. With everything calming down, she put her hand inside Argoth's and spoke in a whisper.

"You gonna be okay?"

S"I don't, but thanks for trying to help."S

"We'll get through this together, you and me buddy." Slumped back against the wall of the shuttle and seeing that Argoth wasn't on the verge of a total nervous breakdown now, it brought a small smile to her face.

'Mission accomplished.' Rahna thought. Even with a good hyperdrive, the trip to Ryloth would take right at six days, which meant a lot of free time. When not sleeping, most of it was taken up by training exercises, or a portable chess set that Rahna had brought with her. Fortunately for Argoth, since space on the shuttle was tight, there wasn't a lot of training in regards to the active use of force abilities. The few times that there were, Rahna covered for him.

She managed to pull the little ruse off by practically sitting on top of Argoth when he practiced, under the guise of wanting to watch closely. This allowed her to use the Force without moving, but to very limited effects. This also made it difficult to tell who was doing what, though she doubted either master would be expecting something like this. Argoth played it off as having to readjust to his new self. This wasn't something Rahna liked doing, or was very proud of, but she was worried for Argoth.

On the morning of the sixth day, the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace above Ryloth, bringing into view the world of two extremes. Tidal locked to its sun, so that one side always faced it, half of the planet was unbearably hot, while the other half was arctic and only inhabited by the toughest of creatures.. The only sentient life on the planet existed in a vast underground network of caves that existed on the planet's terminator. That small habitable area on the cusp between day and night.

"Good day to you Master Jedi, this is Ryloth ground control. May I ask the reason for your visit this fine day?" a man's voice said, coming in over the comm-system.

"We're following a lead in an investigation."

"Oh my, well I certainly wouldn't want to hold you up. I'll send you landing coordinates immediately." Rahna was fairly certain the hospitality was only a formality. Known for an abhorrent slave trade and connected to the Hutts, Ryloth was definitely not a Jedi friendly world, despite being part of the Republic. As the shuttle descended through the atmosphere and toward what appeared to be a small canyon below, Rahna was quite surprised by the sight that greeted her.

She had heard the Twi'lek lived in caves, but that was a poor description of the city that lay below the surface. It was like saying Coruscant had buildings. As the planet surface rose up about them, the shuttle descended into a chasm that delved down further than the lights of the shuttle could pierce. On either side of them were buildings, some hewn from the rock itself, and others made of cut stone. They came in all shapes and sizes, with splashes of blues and greens on some levels, deep reds on others, and signs as bright as those of Coruscant.

On level after level there were people moving about on streets of either smooth stone, or metal platforms. It was easy to see the city went further back into the stone and earth around them. Mostly Twi'lek with a small scattering of other species, all going about whatever business brought them out of their homes. The shuttle came to a slow stop, and turned to face the opening door of a landing garage, and they set down on a very nicely kept platform. Engines powered down and controls secured, they made their way out of the craft. The Twi'lek maintenance crew paid them little mind as they went about their business.

S"Master, if slavery in the Republic is illegal, how do they sell people here?"S

"They don't, they sell 'lifetime employment' contracts," Qui-Gon said, the disgusted tone in his not entirely concealed. Argoth replied with a grunt of agreement. Even Rahna thought of slave trade as abhorrent. Forcing someone into servitude against their will for who knew what, it went against everything the Jedi stood for. Clearing those thoughts, she paid attention to their surroundings as they left the small landing area, and went out into the city proper.

Carved out of stone, there were buildings of all shapes and sizes just like one would find in any city, illuminated by a combination of sunlight, and artificial sources. There were roads, vehicles, and it appeared that life was proceeding with all due haste as it would on any other world. People were window shopping, eating, talking with each other, she even saw one woman inside a shop holding something, and seemingly bickering with a man behind the counter. The presence of the Hutt Cartels was either disguised, or they were on the wrong level.

Rahna stayed close to Obi-Wan as they continued on, partly because she could feel a sense of danger here. It wasn't like that of an impending attack, but there was more than enough reason to keep their wits about. As Rahna looked through the crowd, she could see several people watching them. Some were subtle, others made no attempt to hide their attention. There was even a trio of guards, dressed neck to toe in red duraplast armor, that took notice of them, but didn't do more than crane their necks around for a better look.

"I can sense the danger Master, but it's... strange. I don't feel like their going to attack."

"Our presence is cause for concern, but we've yet to give them a reason to attack. Be on your guard." If the Jedi gave someone cause for alarm, it was likely because they had something to hide. No doubt illegal rather than personal, but they weren't here for that, their purpose was to find out where the transmissions from the crystal had been sent. All they knew at this point was that they went into Wild Space. There were also other hurdles they would have to overcome as well. Because they weren't the ones who sent the transmission, it would likely be a case of pulling teeth to get them to release private customer information.

S"Can we get something to eat? I'm hungry."S Rather than making some sarcastic remark about Argoth's appetite, Rahna noted it was close to lunch time and that she was hungry too. However, since they were on a mission she wasn't betting on them stopping somewhere to eat. It turned out to be a bet she would have lost.

"I think we've got time to get a bite to eat, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon said.

"Hmm, wouldn't mind a little something myself." Although surprised by this, it was a pleasant one. Rahna hated missing meals unless it was absolutely necessary, and had no doubt her fellow padawan was happy as well. They found a rather attractive street side cafe with large glass windows, and a patio set with a number of tables and chairs. They took a seat at a patio table and waited for a server to approach them. One did so rather quickly. A green Twi'lek man in a black outfit, set by a white apron, and a small data pad in hand.

"Welcome to the Mountainside Cafe, my name is Byd'an and I'll be your host today. Can I take your drink orders while you decide what you'd like to eat?" Everyone ordered water while Byd'an handed out menus, and Rahna studied hers carefully finding the prices quite reasonable. Though Jedi didn't normally carry money, when on a mission or assignment, the Order did accord them travel credits to take care of expenses, such as eating.

She was also glad to see the eatery offered protein replacements for their meat products, a fancy term for fake meat. Diets in the order were largely personal choice, and some did eat meat, though Rahna didn't. Since humans could survive without it, she saw no reason for an animal to die just so she could have a meal. On the other hand, Rahna also didn't say anything to others if they chose an omnivorous diet. When Byd'an returned, they all ordered various items off the menu. Rahna opted for a sandwich with vegetables and a slice of protein supplement, and a side salad with dressing. The only one to order real meat was Argoth, though his biology seemed to require it.

Everyone talked casually amongst themselves while eating and Rahna, having finished her sandwich, took the first bite of salad when she noticed something. From an alleyway across the street, a Twi'lek woman took a seat on the sidewalk. She then placed a small wooden sign next to her, and a cup in front. Though Rahna couldn't read Twi'lek script, it was obvious the woman was homeless and begging for credits. To make matters worse, she had a baby with her. The child was swaddled in a stained cloth and Rahna was disgusted by the number of people passing by without even looking at her.

Even from where she was, it was easy to see the woman was underweight. Her arms were too thin, and her cheeks had started to sink. She focused on the baby for a moment and didn't sense any distress which only tugged at Rahna's heart even more. The woman was literally starving herself for the sake of her baby. Looking down at the salad, she stabbed the fork into it, then stood up and walked across the street. The container and cutlery were both disposable.

"Here." Kneeling down she held it out to the woman. Sitting cross legged on the sidewalk, the woman set the baby in her lap and wasted no time in eating. She thanked Rahna between bites for the meal, and the 10 credit chit she dropped into the cup. About to stand up and return to the cafe, something tugged at her Force sense. It took Rahna a moment to realize it was coming from the child in her lap. The baby seemed to be getting upset about something, but calmed down when the padawan stroked her head gently.

The child was a little girl, with lekku that didn't even come down to her shoulders yet. No more than a few months old at most. Rahna could tell her initial assumption was right as well, the child still had a healthy chubby appearance. The touching would have seemed like a simple kindness to most, but for her it was to test a theory, one that had been correct. The infant was Force sensitive. It was impossible to tell to what degree at this age, and it didn't seem very strong. On the other hand Rahna was still a padawan herself, so her own judgment wasn't as experienced as a knight or a master.

"Did you know your baby is Force sensitive?"

"Force sensitive, are you a Jedi?"

"The robes didn't give it away?"

"I thought you were monks." Ever so briefly, Rahna thought about that and acknowledged that the Jedi did share a good bit in common with other monastic orders. Although they didn't worship the Force like some sort of deity, there was no denying the majority of their lives revolved around it.

"When was your last meal?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Rather than getting defensive or upset, the woman seemed more confused by the question than anything else.

"I was just worried, you're not looking too well."

"I'll be alright. I just need to make sure little Ner'sa is taken care of, that's all." What Rahna was about to say would be difficult. Despite her caring about other people, she didn't have her master's gift for gab, or nearly as much charisma.

"And what will happen to her if you starve yourself to death, what then?"

"What other choice do I have?" The woman set the salad down and picked the baby up.

"What would you say if I told you Ner'sa could have a life without fear of starvation. One where she could be cared for and taught how to use her gift. Where she would be clothed, have a warm place to sleep, and be around others like her."

"As a Jedi?"

"Yes." The woman looked up at Rahna, and in her eyes, the girl could see how torn she was. Anyone could see that she loved Ner'sa, and had already proven she was willing to sacrifice for her. There was a part of her that wanted to keep the child as any mother would, and it was at war with the part of her that knew what was best.

"Would she... be happy?"

"I am. The Jedi found me on the streets of Corellia when I was only 5 years old. They took me in and raised me as one of their own. You see the younger man behind me with the short brown hair? He's not just my teacher, he's been my best friend since almost as long as I can remember. It's not always an easy life, but it is a good one. Your daughter will have purpose, direction, and she'll grow up learning to help those in need." The woman looked down at the baby in her arms, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Rahna knew that she was torn by wanting to keep the infant, as any loving mother would, and knowing what was best for her.

"Will she be loved?"

"Yes, I love my teacher like a brother, and I know the other Jedi in the temple care about me." The last part was true too, and in a familial sense she looked at Yoda almost like a grandfather. Despite his position within the Order, he always had time to talk and was far wiser than Rahna imagined she would ever be. She was even fond of Qui-Gon, though their relationship wasn't as close as the one she shared with Obi-Wan. The woman said something to the baby in the Twi'lek language, something else Rahna didn't understand, then handed her to Rahna. So distraught by this, the mother took the sign and cup, quickly disappearing back down the alleyway from which she'd come. Upon returning to the cafe, no one said anything, but there were a few looks exchanged. Rahna knew that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan weren't angry, but imagined they were concerned due to how dangerous the mission could be. She certainly was.


	18. Chapter XVI

Taking on a baby entailed more than Argoth had realized at first. The group had been forced to make a small detour, and now Rahna not only had a front harness strapped to her to carry the baby, but also a new carry bag on her hip with a few diapers, sanitary wipes, a bottle, and a can of baby formula in it. They also agreed that if any hostilities did break out, both padawans would look after the child and make for the shuttle. Argoth also had a new personal mission, if anyone tried to hurt his friend or the baby, they'd learn just how nasty he could get.

After a bit of asking around about where they could inquire about some transmissions that were sent, the group was told that three levels up there was a company called Ryloth Galactic Communications. It was responsible for all civilian transmissions both on and off world. Following the directions, they came to a sector of the city that appeared to be purposed towards industrial output. There was little in the way of homes or shops, it was almost entirely industrial plants and office buildings. The RGC was right where they'd been told. A tall building of metal and glass, definitely made for offices.

The parking lot was full, and there were a number of people moving about, some wearing gray suits with RGC in gold letters on the back, and a few others in normal clothing. The way they were moving to and from speeders, it looked like it was shift change. The four of them walked in through the two glass doors, and were greeted by a large open area. It was made of hardwood floors, white plaster walls, and was quite cool. There were a number of plants and chairs lining the walls, some of them occupied by people waiting for whatever reason.

There were also a number of holo-displays on the wall streaming both galactic and local news. Near the back there were stairs leading up on either side of a half dozen turbolifts. There was a large desk up front with a single Rodian male, and two large Twi'lek men in red duraplast armor sitting behind him. They had 'security' painted across the chest plate in white, and were trying to appear as unfriendly as possible. Qui-Gon approached and inquired about where to find the information they were seeking, and was directed down a hall to the left, and it would be the third door on the right, one of several communication centers in the building.

The front area of the Communication Center was little more than a reception desk with a partial wall behind it. It wasn't hard to see into the back where the technicians sat at two dozen stations handling a litany of comm-channels on the screen in front of them, paying absolutely no mind to the Jedi. Behind the half circle wooden desk was a young green Twi'lek woman, in a crisp black suit and a small communication device over one ear cone. She was in the middle of a business call and typing away at the computer in front of her, so they waited. Once she hung up, the receptionist looked up, only to have the broad smile quickly fade.

"You gotta be kiddin' me right? This some sorta costume party 'a somethin?"

"Nope," Rahna said.

"Who'd I piss off ta desoyve this?" Rahna furrowed her brows curiously at the woman's rather odd accent, as she continued to chew on some gel.

"If you would be so kind as to answer a few questions, we'll be on our way," Qui-Gon said, offering her a friendly smile.

"Yeah, like what?"

"We'd like to know where some communications were sent."

"If you think I'm givin' you privileged client infamation, you need ta lay off tha spice Honey. I'd be lucky IF they fiyad my round green tookis ova that. So unless you're autharized ta view the information, forget it."

"Can you tell me who is authorized to view the information?" Qui-Gon said. When the woman held a hand out, he gave her the data crystal. The receptionist placed it into a slot and began to type away at a computer screen in front of her. When the information came up, she squinted at it a little, then back up at them.

"These transmissions only got two people autharized ta view any infamation about them Honey. Someone goin' by Fifth, and a Rahna Demshar of Coruscant."

"Excuse me?" Rahna said. Now everyone was looking at her, including Argoth. Things just went from strange to straight up weird in the padawan's mind. Why would someone they were trying to track down authorize them access to information like this, unless...

S"Master, this has to be a trap."S

"That obvious?" Qui-gon said.

"Uh... excuse me, I'm Rahna Demshar." Hand raised slightly, she was as shocked by this as everyone else. The receptionist gave her a suspicious look, then provided a small pad for her to apply a thumb print to. It would scan her DNA, then send a message back to Coruscant to confirm her identity, so it would take a while to get a response. After the thumb print was given, the group stepped off to one side to discuss the matter some more.

"I don't like this, it smells like a set-up." Rahna said.

"I agree, but the question is why would Fifth list Rahna as having access to this information, why not Argoth? He seems to be the one their group has the most vested interest in." Qui-Gon said.

S"Because I give DNA scanners a heart attack?"S That was a less than subtle reference to him having a very densely coded genetic structure, that the Jedi in the medical bay were still having fun studying even before his change.

"Because they want to lead us somewhere where they have a decided advantage." Rahna said.

"It makes sense. I see no reason why Second and Fifth wouldn't have been in contact since our encounters. They're most likely trying to address this situation as well considering the information we acquired," Qui-Gon said.

"Yes, but the advantage is theirs. They know far more about us than we do about them," Obi-Wan said.

"They've also tipped their hand. You said that Fifth tried to recover the Codex by talking with you first. If that's true, then diplomacy may not be a lost cause. They have gathered a lot of information about us, but in the last ten years, how many Jedi have died from lightsaber wounds?" Qui-gon said. Argoth had to admit his master had a point, because the answer was zero. What deaths did occur from violence were usually blaster related, explosions, a few being shot out of space, but no lightsaber wounds.

"Are you sure about that Master Jinn, we know that both of them are Dark Side users." Rahna said.

"No, I'm not, but we have to try." As much as Argoth didn't like it, he had to admit Qui-Gon was right. It wasn't the Jedi way to jump into a situation lightsabers first. Though he did want to get his hands on Second and strangle some information out of her, a bit of force choking here and there... Quickly shaking his head, Argoth tried to clear his mind of violent thoughts and remind himself that wasn't their way either. He needed to control his emotions and remain focused.

"Here ya go Ms. Demshar." The receptionist walked over handing her the information on a small data pad, but it wasn't much. They didn't even keep records of transmission contents, though they already knew what that was. What it did provide was information about where they'd come from, and where they were going. Rahna also noted that the transmissions had come from all over known space. She was already fairly sure they would match up to the times and dates of Jedi assignments, but would send them to the temple none the less.

The destination in question was a planet in Wild Space that didn't even have a name, only a designation, 5987732-A. The picture provided was taken by a single explorer class ship that visited over 200 years ago. The planet orbited a yellow star and had a breathable atmosphere, but the survey indicated it was on the outer edge of the system's habitability zone. That meant it would likely be cold. She also held the pad flat so the others could see clearly as well. The only other information was a set of coordinates, and the calculations needed to make a safe hyperspace jump.

S"So what now?"S

"Now it looks like we're heading for an unexplored planet in Wild Space," Qui-Gon said.

Rahna's babysitting duty was short lived. After Qui-gon contacted the Council to explain the situation on Ryloth, and acquiring the child, arrangements had been made. Their mission was delayed by twelve hours as they flew to Christophsis to meet with a Rodan Jedi known as Master Balmas. Having finished acting as a neutral party in a potentially hostile trade negotiation over needed medicines, he was due to head back to the temple. Rahna almost didn't want to give the baby up, having found her to be absolutely adorable. She'd gotten to spend time with everyone on the ship, Ner'sa even threw up on Argoth, much to his dismay.

"Master, it's not fair. Why do babies have to be so cute?" Rahna said, watching Master Balmas' starfighter rise up into the crystalline planet's atmosphere.

"I think it's a natural defense mechanism."

S"She smelled.S

"Argoth!" Rahna said.

S"What? She did."S

"Ner'sa couldn't help it, she's a baby. Besides, you didn't have to change her diaper." Once the child was safely on his way to the temple, their mission into Wild Space was back on course. As the shuttle returned to the darkness of space, Argoth noticed that Rahna seemed a little sad.

S"Hey, you okay?"S

"Yeah, I just feel sorry for Ner'sa's mother."

S"Don't worry, you did the right thing. She probably would have starved herself to death trying to feed Ner'sa, then there's no telling what would have happened. You probably saved two lives today."S Rahna gave a weak smile, and Argoth was also happy to know she'd not only helped a child get off the street, if taken as a padawan later, the Order would eventually have another Jedi amongst their ranks.

After a largely boring fifteen hour trip, both he and Rahna were peering over their master's shoulders at the announcement that they were officially entering Wild Space. It didn't look or feel any different, but it was still exciting to him to be going into uncharted space. There was no telling who or what they might encounter out here. The ship had stopped just long enough to change course, and when they dropped into normal space, there was nothing on the scanners.

"Oh wow, this is totally awesomesauce, Wild Space. There's no telling what we might find out here," Rahna said.

S"Maybe we'll find a new alien civilization. It'd be totally boss if we got to try out their cuisine."S

"Oh for crying out loud Argoth, we're about to head out into the unknown and you're thinking about food?"

"Awesomesauce, boss? Do you understand half of what the younglings are saying these days?" Obi-Wan said.

"Not a clue," Qui-Gon said.

"Gee Master, sounds like you're getting old," Rahna said, grinning broadly.

"Gee Rahna, sounds like you're doing double training sessions when we get home." The grin faded. Once the new course was plotted, they returned to hyperspace, their destination was only about an hour away. Argoth spent most of the time feeling nervous. Part of it was because of his inability to access the force, but also because of what might happen. It was obvious this was where Fifth, and likely Second, wanted them to show up. It had trap written all over it, and Argoth didn't like this one bit.

Regardless, it was the only lead they had to go on, and it needed to be followed. Argoth hoped that Second would be there, so he would have the chance to get some answers. Where were his people from, how did he end up in an escape pod in space, what had been done to him. There were so many answers he wanted... needed answers to. If she refused, Argoth wasn't sure that even his new physical abilities would be a match. Second wasn't just fast, she had a fearsome command over the force, and likely even more abilities they weren't aware of.

When the ship finally did return to normal space, both he and Rahna nearly face planted the front window of the shuttle. There it was, dead ahead, Planet 5987732-A. The world looked much the same as the picture, bright blue and heavily clouded. Argoth didn't find it very inviting. The cloud cover was thick, and the poles extended further into the interior than on most planets. This place was probably going to be an icebox.

"I'm not picking up any sort of transmissions from the surface, no ships or satellites in orbit," Qui-Gon said, tapping away at the controls in front of him.

"Surface scans don't indicate any sort of sentient life, there aren't even any... wait a minute. I'm picking up some structures near the equator," Obi-Wan said.

S"Life signs, power signatures?"S

"No, neither."

"That's weird, no people or power sigs? You think they picked up and left?" Rahna said.

"After leading us here, I doubt it. Whoever, or whatever is down there, could be shielding themselves from scans," Qui-Gon said.

"Only one way to find out," Obi-Wan said. Their descent was a bumpy one due to high winds buffeting the ship.

S"Look, there!"S Pointing ahead of them, Argoth could see the structures in question. About a quarter mile in diameter it appeared to be a small village of some sort, though from the look of things it was long abandoned. Most of the structures, or what was left of them, was made of stone. Argoth continued to watch the sensors, but there were no changes. Around the settlement there was grass, but little in the way of vegetation, and what trees there were had no leaves on them. A good sign their destination was in the middle of winter. A look at the atmospheric sensors showed it was -3F outside.

No one said anything as they came to a landing just outside the settlement, and as Obi-Wan had the foresight to pack accordingly, they all took out their thermal gear and suited up before stepping off the shuttle. At first Argoth left the hood down due to his horns, but when hit by a gust of ice cold wind, that changed. Removing it from the thick jacket, he placed it on the horns and pulled down, ripping a pair of holes in the top, then reconnected it.

S"I hate cold weather."S

"So does this mean you're not buying that summer home on Hoth?" Rahna said, to which he only growled. Argoth did favor hot weather, and even before changing he could operate in temperatures pushing 100F with only minor discomfort. He also didn't sweat, his body just radiated heat directly through the skin. All four lightsabers were visible now. Normally kept under their robes, that would have been hard to get to quickly, so they now hung from the rings attached to the hip of the thermal suit. Working the small control panel on the belt buckle, Argoth set his suit for 77F.

"We should split up, we can cover more ground that way," Qui-Gon said. They all agreed, then made sure that their comlinks were on the same frequency before parting company. Argoth was all eyes as he and Qui-Gon started to make their way through the outskirts of the settlement, not only to watch for signs of danger, but also curiosity. Most of the buildings were missing walls, or had fallen down completely. They were also devoid of any signs of life.

"What do you notice about the buildings around us?"

Not sure what his master was getting at, Argoth began to look around at the buildings and look for anything out of the ordinary. Most of them looked old, possibly centuries old. They were made of stone, but with edges that were worn smooth by time and weather. Brushing a hand along one wall, his mind began to put some pieces together.

S"None of the buildings appear damaged. It's like they fell apart from lack of maintenance."S

"Very good. So far I haven't seen any signs of battle damage either. I don't think the people that were once here met with violence."

S"What do you think happened?"S

"It's too early to tell yet." As they continued to look through the area, there was little to see. The next point of interest drew attention to itself when Argoth stepped on something metal. Pulling the hoof up, he kicked gently, sending something in the dust sliding forward. Qui-Gon picked it up and dusted it off. Roughly the size of a sign used for street names, it was rectangular, faded blue in color, and with characters he'd never seen before. It was obviously a script of some sort. There was a single horizontal line with circles of various size above, on, or below the line. Others intersected one another, or were in others altogether.

S"You recognize the language?"S

"No, I've never seen anything like this before." Taking out a small scanning device, Argoth ran it over the script, then transferred the information to the shuttle's computer. It quickly returned a surprising result. The language wasn't in the Republic or Jedi database, both of which were quite comprehensive. Brows raising slightly at this, he tilted it forward for Qui-Gon to see.

"Interesting, it would appear this world was once inhabited by a race neither the Jedi or Republic have encountered before." Were the situation not so dire, Argoth would have found that to be quite fascinating. He did enjoy learning more about other species and cultures, but right now he needed to focus on the mission. It was also frustrating that they weren't finding any signs of advanced technology, or recent habitation. There had to be something here.

As they rounded the corner of another street, they both heard a loud clack and quickly looked in that direction. It was a door the wind had slammed against the outside wall, but never the less, Qui-Gon motioned for them to have a look. They both went around a different side of the small single story building, looking into the windows, but didn't see anything suspicious. Argoth did notice a large open room that was too dark to see into, and moving around back, which turned out to be the front, he saw a garage door. Pulling on it, the door slid up without difficulty.

S"Master, come look at this!"S Walking over to the object of interest as Qui-Gon stepped inside, it told a great deal more. It was a cracked drill head, industrial in size, and had hit something so hard it was nearly split in two. The damage wasn't what drew his attention, but rather what it implied.

"It looks like this was a mining camp. Do you know what that means?"

S"Tunnels!"S

Author's Note: This definitely falls under the category of artistic license, because how a Twi'lek in the Star Wars Universe ended up with a Jersey accent, I have no idea. It... just happened.


	19. Chapter XVII

Moving in the opposite direction of the others, Rahna looked around for any clues, or other signs that might give them any ideas. It was obvious the greeting party wasn't just waiting in town for them. Rahna also had no doubt that both Second and Fifth were here, maybe more. They were still dealing with an unknown quantity of people, so extreme caution would be required. She hoped that diplomacy would be possible, because Fifth had seemed reasonable at first, but it didn't seem likely. From what she'd learned about Second, the other woman didn't seem like the overly friendly type.

The settlement was quiet, and Rahna also noticed there didn't seem to be any life in the area at all. Closing her eyes, she reached out into the Force looking for insects, animals, or anything else of interest. There was nothing to be found. The only sign of life was that of the grass and trees. She also couldn't feel any force users other than the four of them.

"Rahna, come look at this." What had drawn her master's attention was a small graveyard just outside of town. There were six graves in total, all with headstones above them. They were marked by the same alien script the others had found. Rahna scanned it, while Obi-Wan scanned the bodies in the graves. She got the same response from the shuttle about the script.

"Interesting, the computer doesn't recognize the language. How about the bodies?"

"They're humanoid, one with a crushed skull, another with a crushed chest cavity. The other skeletons show no signs of death by physical injury."

"Also interesting, but completely useless to the matter at hand." They returned to the settlement to see if there was anything. As they moved further in it was all more of the same. Old dilapidated buildings that were succumbing to age and nature. She couldn't find anything to indicate that anyone had been here for a very long time. The area was silent, the Force was silent, everything was silent. It was starting to get to Rahna, then she spun around.

"Master, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It sounded like... a voice."

"What did it say?"

"Over here." She was still scanning the area with her senses, and the Force, but came up empty. Obi-Wan did the same, then looked at her and shook his head a little.

"I can't sense anything, but let me know if you hear it again." Rahna still wasn't sure if it was a voice, or a trick of the wind. Every so often when it blew between two buildings, there was a gentle whistling sound, so it was possible her own paranoia was getting the better of her.

"Obi-Wan, are you there?" Qui-Gon said.

"Did you find anything?" Obi-Wan said, speaking into his comlink.

"We found a damaged industrial drill head. It's possible this was a mining settlement, which means there may be tunnels nearby." That caused both of them to kneel down, place a hand on the ground, and begin to look through the Force. They both sensed a void underground that was the size of a tunnel, and running parallel to the direction they were walking in.

"Master Jinn, I sensed something underground, or a lack of something to be more precise. Possibly a tunnel. Any idea where they might place an entrance?"

"Most mining settlements build their structures around the main shaft for ease of access."

"We'll meet you there," Obi-Wan said. Rahna was only a step behind him as they made their way to the center of town, and the four arrived at nearly the same time. There they found a very large pile of stone debris with wooden timbers mixed in. Definitely a structure of some sort once upon a time. All four of them held out a hand and focused. With a rumble and a few cracks, the debris began to shudder. It slowly slid across the ground, followed by a small clack, clack, thud, as a stone fell, hitting a wall on the way down. Ten feet in diameter, it disappeared into darkness. Qui-Gon took out a small break light, snapped it to activate, and tossed.

S"Looks like a good 40 or 50 feet straight down."S

"So who wants to go first?" Obi-Wan said. Argoth raised a hand, then stepped down into the hole. Qui-Gon then used the Force to slow his descent in a manner similar to levitating an object. Rahna was next, followed by Obi-Wan, who then helped to slow Qui-Gon on the way down. Now they were all standing in complete darkness.

"I don't suppose anyone remembered to get a flashlight off the shuttle?" Obi-Wan said. To the sound of a pair of clicks, both Argoth and Rahna's faces were illuminated by the beam of light from below, and were looking in the direction of their masters.

S"Paranoia isn't always a bad thing Master,"S Argoth said. They handed off the lights and let their masters take the lead. After swinging them around the tunnel to get a better look, it was easy to see this was a mining shaft. There was roughly cut stone mixed in with dry earth, as well as being more than big enough for people to walk back and forth. As they continued on, Obi-Wan's light stopped on what looked like the remnants of a small white vein in the wall. Walking closer he scratched a little off, then dabbed it on the tip of his tongue.

"Zerinium, and a good bit of it from the look of things." Scanning the walls there were more tiny white streaks to be found. That confirmed this was a mining operation at one point. Zerinium was a common ore, but also in high demand as it was one of the primary materials used in energy storage mediums.

"Yeah, and someone probably made a nice chunk of creds off this too," Rahna said, holding her small hand scanner. "They mined the crap out of this place, there are tunnels extending beyond my scanner range in almost every direction. Some even crisscross each other."

S"Anything of interest?"S

"No, just tunnels, tunnels, and more tunnels." The group moved along for a time, with Rahna using the scanner to map their path to avoid getting lost. This continued for nearly half an hour with nothing in sight, then a blue lightsaber blade snapped to life as Rahna spun around, quickly followed by three more.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan said.

"Now I know I'm not crazy because there's no wind down here."

"What did you hear?"

"A voice said go back." As before it was so faint as to be little more than a whisper. "Who's there, who said that?!"

"Can you feel it?" Qui-Gon said.

"Barely, but I'm not sure what it is. It's like... an echo?" Obi-Wan said.

"I'm not sure either, but there's definitely something down here." Qui-Gon said.

S"Sounds like someone's trying to scare us off."S

"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said. "The first time Rahna heard the voice we were above ground. It said over here, and now that I think about it, she did turn in the direction of the center of town." The situation started to calm down, and sabers deactivated. Rahna also appreciated how Obi-Wan hadn't used the term 'claimed to hear' when describing the voice.

"I haven't sensed anything malevolent yet, perhaps we should listen to it," Qui-Gon said. The group turned around and began to move in the other direction. After backtracking their steps and moving into a new tunnel, it began to gently slope downward, taking them deeper underground. The silence was almost deafening, and beginning to get to Rahna. Above ground there was at least wind, here it was just silent anticipation.

It was also getting warmer, and it wasn't long before the thermal suits were all unzipped and tied at the waist. Two tunnels later it became outright sweltering, almost like walking into a solid wall of heat. There was also an orange glow ahead, the telltale sign of magma.

S"Oh screw this, I'm not playing char-crispy to find out what's down there."S It was too hot for any of them to continue forward, so they went down a side tunnel that moved away from the magma.

"Hello." Rahna said.

"Do you see something?" Qui-gon said.

"About three hundred meters ahead, there's a chamber, it's square." There was no doubt in her mind that it was artificial in design. Nature didn't make things this neat. They continued in that direction, only to find more. "Correction, it's a series of chambers. Various sizes and shapes, but they're all connected."

The group came around a gentle corner, and saw the first chamber ahead of them. There was light coming from within, and a small gray object opposite the entrance. Before even getting there, Rahna's attention suddenly shifted to the left. She could feel something through the Force. It was a presence, but difficult to pinpoint. As suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared, then reappeared to the right. Two more times the presence blinked in and out, each time in a different location.

"Okay, someone's trying to mess with us," Rahna said.

"It's more than one person Rahna," Qui-Gon said. "It's difficult to notice, but I did feel a slight difference each time." That wasn't good, because in Rahna's mind that meant there were four different people here. Four Jedi, four unknowns. As they got closer they could see the gray device, about the size of a suitcase, was a transmitter relay. Not only did that seem to indicate that this world wasn't the final destination of the transmissions, this was far too easy. Everything about the room in front of her told Rahna to turn around and go the other way. Even a village idiot could see trap written all over this.

S"So what now oh great and wise masters?"S That wasn't sarcasm on the part of Argoth, it was his way of acknowledging he was at a loss, and availing himself to their wisdom and experience. All three had heard it before, and took it as it was meant.

"Really, Masters, any ideas?"

"It looks to me like we have two options," Obi-Wan said.

"Either spring the trap, or go home," Qui-Gon said. Rahna resisted the urge to vote for going home. Never the less, she remained like a cat on a hot tin roof, and they all started to move forward cautiously and look in every direction, including above and below. Once they were inside the room, Rahna half expected a giant stone or metal door to slam down and lock them in, but it didn't. Qui-Gon motioned for the others to stay where they were, and carefully approached the relay. After a top to bottom inspection, it looked to be deactivated, so he pressed the power button, nothing happened. Pressing a few more resulted in the same thing.

"Dead power cell maybe?" Rahna said. Taking the left side of the transmitter's housing off, a small red and white stick about a foot long popped out. That caused Qui-Gon to jump back and grab his lightsaber, but nothing happened at first. The stick then started to turn and unfurled a red flag with the word 'bang' written on it. Inching a little closer, Rahna could see the entire transmitter was empty, save a tiny motor the stick was attached to.

"What is this, some sort of sick joke?" Rahna said.

S"Nothing funny about it at all, they're trying to mess with us, get into our heads."S

"If there was anything inside this relay, it's long gone now," Qui-Gon said. Their only option was to keep moving, and the only path visible was another hallway to their left. As Rahna started to move that way she felt a slight ripple in the Force.

"Master, I felt-" As she turned around the sentence fell short. Everyone was gone. Now having to fight back a good amount of fear, Rahna called out to the others and moved around the room, trying to reach out physically as well. She knew this was some sort of trick, an illusion perhaps, it had to be. They couldn't simply vanish into thin air. When sound and touch failed, she tried to reach out through the force, only to be denied once more. Somehow she had been completely cut off from her friends, separated.

"Little Jedi, without her friends... all gone... all alone..." The voice came as a whisper, almost like a hiss... and it was right behind her.

The situation was only growing worse by the moment for Argoth, because everywhere around him the enemy was using the force against his friends. They were all in danger and he was blind to it all. After the little joke with the transmitter he was ready to tear someone's head off, Jedi way or not. He didn't like people threaten those he cared about, especially Rahna. One way or another he would find Second and- Reaching out for Rahna, she wasn't there. He looked around, but his best friend was nowhere to be found.

S"Where's Rahna?!"S Everyone began to look around the room, only to realize that she'd disappeared without a trace. From the room at the end of the hall to the left, Argoth heard Rahna scream, and without even thinking he took off after her. Qui-Gon yelled something about wait, but he wasn't even listening. At a full run he quickly looked around the room but saw nothing, then ran to the next room, and the next, and the next... nothing. That was also when Argoth realized he'd taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

With a bit of effort he backtracked to the transmitter room, and found it empty, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were gone. Shaking his head, Argoth sighed. They they all got out of this in one piece he would definitely get gripped at, and rightfully so. He'd allowed feeling to cloud judgment, and acted very foolishly. There were times that Argoth wanted to rip his feeling out and stomp on them. They had become so hard for him to control after the change. He hadn't fully mastered them before, but now it was almost as though he were right back to square one.

More than anything he was feeling anger, so much anger. It was like the forest of where Qui-Gon had been attacked by the soldiers. He wanted to grab hold of someone and tear them apart. His friends were in danger, and he was powerless to help them. How could this have happened, how could someone have simply taken the Force away from him like that. A single word, and he was cut off. The anger within wanted to explode like a maelstrom, but he was still a Jedi. Force or not he still remembered their teachings, and doctrine. He would not allow emotion to rule this day.

"Why are you so afraid to feel?" Whipping around this way and that, Argoth looked for the source of the voice, but saw no one. It wasn't Second, this person didn't have the same clipped accent. Her voice was a lot smoother, almost consoling in nature.

S"Who's there, show yourself!"S

"It's are nothing to ashamed of, they're as much a part of you as anything else." Argoth growled, but the voice still would not give itself form. It was impossible to tell what direction it had come from, but wouldn't allow himself to be fooled by simple mind games. He had enough problems to worry about without adding even more self-doubt than. No more than what he was already grappling with. Now alone once more, Argoth walked from room to room seeing that these were more than simple room. They were more like ruins. There were a number of large statues, though most had been worn smooth at some point.

He wondered if these rooms had been above ground at one point, then shook his head realizing such speculation was pointless. His friends were in danger, and he needed to find them. Deeper and deeper he moved, not seeing or hear anything. He backtracked more than once, but whatever had been done to him wouldn't relent, and without the Force, he was powerless to fit against it. Deciding enough was enough, he sat down on the floor.

S"You want to hide in the shadows like a coward, fine. I'm done with this stupid little game until you show yourself."S For the next few minutes there was silence, then he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. They were slow and unsteady, and unsure of what was going on he looked up. From around the corner of the hall ahead of him, he saw Rahna barely manage to walk into the room. Her lightsaber was destroyed, one leg severely injured, and her other hand was held over a bloodstain that covered most of her chest.

"Argoth... I called for you. Why didn't you..." As she started to fall, Argoth was across the room in a flash, ready to catch her. Then she disappeared like smoke in the wind. Dropping to his knees, Argoth just looked down at his hands.

"You call her friend, yet that is a lie. One you tell even to yourself. Why do you fear the truth?"

Hands become fists as his eyes closed and he fought even harder against something else. "Because I am a Jedi, and that's all it can ever be, a lie."

"There is no emotion, there is peace, yet you are at war.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge, yet you know not even yourself.

There is no passion, there is serenity, yet you find none.

There is no chaos, there is harmony, and you fight against everything you are.

There is no death, there is the Force, yet it is gone."

Finally losing control of himself, Argoth let out a scream and began slamming his fists into the wall. Over and over against he hit the solid stone in front of him, unable to control what he was feeling. The emotions flowed through him like a torrent, blinding him even to else, until he was utterly spent. Drained and in pain, he feel to the floor, looking at his hands and not even caring anymore. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the woman was right.

Nearly all of his adult life, however short it was, had been a lie because of one simple fact he tried to ignore. A feeling he had been taught was only lead to darkness and despair, yet one he couldn't escape no matter how hard he tried. That was when he noticed someone standing in front of him. Looking up Argoth could see a woman dressed in the same armor as the others, only it wasn't Second or Fifth. This woman was, to put it bluntly, fat. Nearly as wide as she was tall, and built like like a barrel. Everything about her was big. About to try to attack, Argoth saw that her lightsaber was still clipped to a hip ring on the armor.


	20. Chapter XVIII (Final)

Igniting the lightsaber as she spun around, there was no one there. Rahna knew she'd heard the voice, just as plainly as any other, but she was alone. She couldn't feel anyone through the Force, whatever had been done to her senses was still affecting them. She tried to use a Force Push, and felt the wave travel out of her hand and strike the wall, or at least she thought it had. Rahna shook her head and tried to clear her senses. This was a mind game. Someone was trying to confuse her, erode her self-confidence.

Repeating the Jedi Code in her mind, Rahna focused on that, rather than what was affecting her. Taking several deep breaths she looked around, still alone. Regardless of that, she would not allow these tricksters to twist around her mind and emotions. They were hers, not weapons to be used against her. There was no point in staying here, so Rahna decided to look for the others. If she had disappeared, they would likely be looking for her.

While moving through the halls of the ruins, Rahna tried to think her way through what was happening. This was a Force trick, something designed to turn her own mind against her. The question was, how to counter the effects. She couldn't very well just sit down and meditate, leaving herself potentially wide open to an attack. With her senses affected the way they were, there was no telling if she would be able to feel them coming. She also knew that no force technique was perfect, there was a way around everything.

This wasn't a mind probe, because she would have felt it. They were invasive, often to the point of being painful. No, this was something new, something the Jedi had never encountered before. Now alone once more, Rahna had this nagging little suspicion in the back of her mind that she wasn't. The others were close by, friend and foe alike. What Rahna didn't understand was what they wanted. What was the point of all this in the first place. It was obvious to her that one of them likely could have killed her already. Was this some sort of sick game, someone's twisted version of entertainment?

"What's the point of all this? Why not face me instead of playing this pointless game?" Appearing in front of her with what looked like a distortion wave, one of the four appeared. Rahna hadn't seen her before, or from the description given by the others. Taller, she was slender, with a nicely curved figure and chest.

"Game? You think this is a game good padawan? Oh no, far from it."

"So which one are you?"

The woman gave a deep bow and flourished with one hand. "I am Fourth. Now, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" The answer came when Fourth dropped into a battle stance, one arm forward, the other back, and ignited her lightsaber. To Rahna's surprise, this one wasn't red, but blue in color. With her own saber at the ready, the battle quickly proved to be anything but a simple test of martial prowess. When Fourth moved, she saw no motion between start and finish. One moment she was standing in a ready position, the next she was three feet closer, weapon raised to strike.

Startled by this, Rahna jumped back and threw a hand out, trying to push her away. Just before impact, Fourth was now standing to the left. To Rahna it was almost like some strange form of stop motion movement. That was when she realized something else. She could feel Fourth drawing upon the Force, but it was from the Light Side, not the Dark.

"How is that possible? You're drawing from the light, not the dark like Second and Fifth."

"So much do you see, yet so little do you understand." The pain was searing as the lightsaber made contact with Rahna's arm. The wound was only skin deep, but enough to make her cry out and jump back. As before there was no movement, Fourth had been standing there one moment, the next she was beside Rahna, touching weapon to arm. How could she fight someone she couldn't even see move. That was when a simple realization became apparent.

S"Either draw your lightsaber or leave me be."S The woman standing over Argoth did neither. Taking a knee in front of him she placed both hands over top of his. As the warmth began to spread through his hands, the wounded knuckles slowly mended themselves. Though unable to access the Force, he'd seen the technique enough times to know she was calling upon the light. That alone left him confused, as both Second and Fifth used the Dark Side. S"Who are you?"S

"You may call me Third dear child." If the code names were ranks, that would mean Third, someone capable of calling upon the light, was the direct subordinate of Second. There were still so many questions he needed answers to, but upon opening his mouth to speak, Third placed her hand over it.

"The change that you have endured was one that had to be, one that should have been more than a year past. Had it not, you would have died." As she spoke, Third looked at Argoth, brushing her hand over his cheek. "The first time you fought after the change, was it as a Jedi, or were your heart and mind filled with the desire to kill and destroy. Had you drawn upon the Force, which side would have come to you, which side would have consumed you?"

There was no doubt in Argoth's mind now, whoever these people were, they knew the truth about him. To make matters worse, Third was right. Had he been able to call upon the Force in the forest on Habel, things would have gotten a lot worse. It could have possibly ended with his master having to do something Argoth might not have lived to regret. There was still so much confusion in his mind that it was hard to think straight.

S"Is this permanent?"S

"Learn to accept what you've become Argoth, the rest will work itself out."

S"What about-"S

"Hush now child. You must hurry unless that which you saw comes to pass."

As fast as her feet would move, Rahna ran through the ruins, trying to get away from Fourth. Though not a coward by nature, she also wasn't dumb enough to stay in a fight that would have been all but impossible for her to win. It would have amounted to little more than suicide. It was better to make a tactical retreat and try to find and advantage, than to stay in a fight she had no idea of how to win. If there was going to be any chance, she would need to find a way to deal with this new force technique.

By this point Rahna was so lost, she barely knew left from right. Resting a hand on the wall, she tried to catch her breath. While she had no doubt Fourth would be along soon to continue the fight, she could feel her opponent through the Force. Turning to ready herself, Rahna watched as Fourth stepped into the room, saber by her side. At that same moment she felt someone behind her. Looking over a shoulder she saw Fifth walk into the room from the opposite end.

Thinking the situation had just gone from bad to nearly impossible, they had a short exchange in a language Rahna didn't understand. When Fifth waved a hand at Fourth, she shrugged and walked out of the room. Confused as to what was going on, she turned to face Fifth, not liking this much more than her other option. The last time they'd crossed blades it hadn't gone well, but at the same time, Rahna was no slouch. Having already seen her style once before, she had some idea what to expect.

"Right then, let's have at it," Rahna said. Fifth crossed her arms in front of her face, then stomped a foot onto the floor, spacing then out, and slowly lowered her arms. Unlike last time, Fifth seemed to be drawing the Dark Side in and internalizing it. Pulling the lightsaber into her hand, the red blade ignited and she charged. When their blades met, the force of impact nearly knocked Rahna's saber out of her hand and sent her staggering back. The attacks weren't any slower, but they were much stronger than before. The blade struck over and over, and as she blocked, the young padawan was nearly battered across the room. The tactic was effective, because it left Rahna little time to react. By the time she recovered from one attack, another was already coming toward her.

Determined not to be overwhelmed by brute force, Rahna drew upon the light to do much the same. Instead of strength she opted for speed. Lashing out with a series of rapid strikes, it forced Fifth onto the defensive. She continued to swing, looking for any possible opening, but her opponent's defense was as solid as she was. When Fifth tried to grab her again, Rahna ducked, and used her positioning to connect with an uppercut to the chin. The attack was more reflex than intent and with a dull clunk, the impact of fist against metal did more to hurt Rahna than Fifth.

The pain shot through her hand like a bolt of lightning, and the foot to the chest impacted like a tree trunk, sending her tumbling across the floor. Fifth leapt into the air, weapon overhead to strike, and Rahna threw both hands out. The force push hit the larger woman hard enough to bounce her off the ceiling and sent her crashing to the floor.

"Okay, that one hurt," Fifth said. There was a slight intermission in the fight as they both took a moment to collect themselves, then stood up. This time when Fifth came forward she began to spin the blade around, designed to make the angle of attack hard to determine. Focusing her mind, Rahna blocked a side swing, then tried to attack as fast as she possibly could. This wasn't a technique she'd fully mastered yet, and would sacrifice accuracy in doing so.

Fifth began to pick up speed as well, and it quickly turned into a contest of skill as blades hummed and popped against one another. At this moment in time the only thing in the room for Rahna was her opponent. She was watching every swing, every movement, blocking and attacking, looking for an opening that might let her blade dig into metal and flesh. The air around them was starting to take on a burnt smell from the plasma of so many blade strikes.

"You fight well for a padawan but not well enough, this fight is over." With the next strike, Fifth shifted her wrists ever so slightly, and with a 'hsssp' Rahna's blade disappeared. Looking down she realized Fifth had just slice the top of the lightsaber away, then a force push slammed Rahna into the far wall like she'd been hit by a speeder. Collapsing from the blow, she began to cough and spit some blood onto the floor. Her attention was drawn by the hum of a red blade, and she looked up to see the tip perhaps an inch from her face, then it fell to the floor. In a blur of brown, Argoth flew out of the hall in front of Fifth and barely slowed as he slammed into her.

S"Get away from her!"S The two hit the floor and not even bothering to draw his lightsaber, Argoth began to hammer fist to face, only this time it was denting the helmet. Shocked by the ferocity of the attack, Rahna watched as the two of them began to punch, kick, and slam each other around like a pair of titans. Argoth tried to tail slap her, only to have the appendage caught and got spin slammed into a wall.

He kicked Fifth in the chest hard enough to knock her down. This was a level of brutality Rahna had never seen her friend fight with before. They were literally spitting small chunks of stone as they hammered each other around the room. Then Argoth ducked under a punch, grabbed Fifth by the face, and began to repeatedly slam the back of her head into the wall.

'Yeah, how do you like being whipped around by your head?' Rahna thought. Much like she'd done earlier, Fifth blew Argoth across the room with a double handed force push. As he hit the floor, she staggered forward slapping at the side of a now badly damaged helmet. It started to retract, then shuttered, unable to move further due to the damage. Grabbing two of the shifting plates, Fifth ripped the helmet in half, slamming the two halves onto the floor. For the first time since this all began, Rahna saw the face of one of their attackers. Shoulder length chestnut brown hair framed a large face set with deep blue eyes, a slender nose, and a set of generous pink lips. To Rahna's surprise, Fifth was quite attractive despite her size. They lunged at one another, locked arms, and tried to push the other one back through sheer brute force. Now Rahna was glad that Argoth couldn't draw on the Force, because he was to the point of nearly being enraged. Unable to push Fifth back, he whipped her around and with an immense effort, threw her into the wall. He charged forward, slamming into both Fifth and the wall so hard, it finally gave way. In a shower of dust and stone the two fell twenty feet into the room below.

Limping over to the hole in the wall, Rahna looked down to see both of them laying on the floor. They were unconscious, but still alive. Hearing something that sounded like lightsabers, she glanced to the left, from the hall that Fifth had come from, and saw what looked like a distortion. It appeared like a ripple at first, then wavered, and Rahna realized what it was. Obi-Wan was fighting Second. Whatever sort of trick had been used to separate them seemed to be weakening.

They were crossing blades on a thirty foot long stone bridge, and below that it fell off into darkness. Without a lightsaber and injured, all she could do was take a knee and watch them. The battle was a tense one, but Obi-Wan was matching her in both skill and speed. When she leaned forward and started to yell, he sent her tumbling back with a force push, and then pressed the advantage. As Second tried to recover, he struck at her wrist. The armor deflected enough of the blow to prevent loss of limb. Nevertheless it bit deeply enough to burn the wrist and render it nearly useless, as well as causing her to drop one of the red lightsabers into the chasm below.

"The descriptions of your skill do you a disservice Kenobi. You are indeed a worthy opponent." Before he had time to respond, she took the offensive, slashing with the remaining lightsaber. As he blocked low she tossed the blade to her other hand, which still had enough strength to catch, and unleashed a torrent of force lightning. Caught by surprise, he barely brought the blade up in time to block. With only one hand she was still capable of unleashing a blast strong enough to push Obi-Wan back. Rahna could feel the dark side drawing into Second with increasing strength. The lightning arced off the lightsaber to the point some of it struck her armor, causing the lights on it to flicker, but she wouldn't relent. The intensity was growing by the moment, and Rahna knew if the weapon was ripped free, it would all be over.

Seeing Fifth's lightclub laying on the floor a short distance away, she reached toward it, but instead of pulling, she pushed. The handle ricocheted off the back of Second's helmet with a 'clonk', but it was just enough to disrupt her concentration. Rahna hadn't activated it, hoping they could capture one of them alive for questioning. When the lightning stopped, Obi-Wan repeated the move, slamming the butt of his lightsaber into the front of her helmet. Second staggered back as her last weapon was kicked free, and a blue blade stopped just short of her throat.

"It's over Second, surrender." Still breathing heavily from the exertion, she looked down at the blade poised to strike, then up at Obi-Wan.

"Over? Oh no my dear Jedi, it has only just begun." Holding her hands out to the side, Second twisted away from the blade and let herself fall from the bridge, disappearing into the darkness below. Surprised that she would do something like that, he looked down into the darkness for a time, then to Rahna.

"Rahna, are you alright?"

"I'll live." When she limped over to the hole in the wall to check on Argoth, he was still unconscious, but Fifth was gone. Rather than going to get him, Obi-Wan used the Force to lift the unconscious padawan into the room where they were. As he did, Qui-Gon appeared from an adjoining hall..

"Who did you run into?" Obi-Wan said.

"Fourth, but once I saw through the illusion she was using it was a short fight."

"Were you able to capture her?" Rahna said.

"Unfortunately no, she managed to get away. What of the others?"

"Argoth tore the room up with Fifth and they managed to knock each other out, where she went, I don't know. Obi managed to defeat Second, then she decided to commit suicide rather than be captured and threw herself off the bridge."

"What about the fourth one?" Qui-Gon said.

"No one's seen them to my knowledge." Obi-Wan said.

S"Third..."S Finally regaining consciousness, Argoth sat up and rubbed his head. S"She was here, but... we didn't fight."S No one could sense their presence in the Force anymore, meaning they were likely trying to hide and retreat. After making sure no one was mortally wounded, they decided it was time to leave. On the way back to the surface they talked about everything that happened, with Argoth only saying that Third had tried to play mind games with him, then told him a little bit about what was going on his with change. He played it off as though she were trying to get into his head and break down his self-confidence. When Rahna looked around, both she and Argoth were pretty beat up, and Obi-Wan had a small lightsaber burn on each arm.

The only one to remain unscathed was Qui-Gon. The encounter itself seemed odd, almost like it didn't have any real purpose. There had been no demands, little in the way of threats, and Third hadn't even engaged in battle. It made all of them wonder what this had been about in the first place. It was obvious there was more to this than they were seeing, but being unable to capture any of them for questioning, it left a lot of things unanswered. By the time they reached the shuttle, they had agreed on some other things as well.

"The illusions that Fourth was using drew upon the light side, which presents a problem with the resurgent Sith Empire theory," Qui-Gon said.

"Sith wouldn't likely abide someone like that among their ranks," Rahna said.

S"They also know a good bit about me, but I had to help Rahna before I could get anymore out of Third."S

"What bothers me the most is Second. Before she dove off the bridge, she said this was only the beginning," Obi-Wan said. To make matters worse, they didn't even know who these people were, or what they wanted. There was however one thing that Rahna was fairly certain about. They hadn't seen the last of the little numbered group. With Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on the shuttle, she started to walk up the ramp, then stopped and turned to Argoth.

"I know you're aggressive in a fight, but back there with Fifth, I've never seen you like that before."

"I was trying to protect you because... you're my best friend." That brought a smile to Rahna's face, and before stepping onto the shuttle, she gave him a hug around the waist.

"I'm glad I have a friend like you."


End file.
